Fade
by Deathwhisperer
Summary: "There's a day when all hearts will be broken - when a shadow will cast out the light. And our eyes cry a million tears..." When the creator is gone, the creation falls apart. A vision of the world of RWBY without Monty. FEELS AHEAD. SO MANY, MANY FEELS AHEAD.
1. Black Skies - Edit II

**Remnants of a Dream - a tribute for Monty Oum.**

* * *

"_There's a day when all hearts will be broken - when a shadow will cast out the light. And our eyes cry a million tears.."_

* * *

Weiss opened her eyes with a yawn. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and sighed. Her sleep was fitful and she didn't feel like she got the rest she needed. To avoid being rudely awakened by Ruby's wretched whistle, she had slept early, intending to wake before her ever-eager team leader gets the opportunity to blow her out of bed. She looked around the room. It was still dark. She was exhausted from studying last night, so why did she wake up so early?

She heard loud footsteps outside in the hallway, hushed voices getting louder as they passed the door to team RWBY's room.

_Have they no consideration for others!?_ Weiss thought. _It's like, four in the morning guys!_

Unfortunately, selfish dorm students are something she'd have to learn to deal with during the duration of her stay in Beacon. She sat on her bed and breathed, calming her mind.

_It's just boys being boys.. _Weiss reasoned. _Alright._

She stepped out of bed. The other three members of team RWBY are still fast asleep - Weiss could hear Ruby's snore, that annoying, soft, adorable.. she shook those thoughts away from her head and focused on the question at hand.

What time is it?

She dug her scroll out of her schoolbag and turned it on. It whirred to life with a short buzz and the screen shone, lighting up the room with soft luminescence. Her eyes widened.

_8:31._

In any other day, she would've exploded into action, rousing the other three members of her team in order to get to class on time. Ruby would mumble out of bed, Blake would look at her with a dispassionate expression and Weiss would've pulled a screaming Yang from her bed while the busty blonde protests that the heiress was separating her from her one true love - the comfort of her sheets.

But this time, she merely glanced out the window.

That something was wrong became apparent with one look. The first thing she noticed was that the moon wasn't shining - actually, it was as if it doesn't even exist. Weiss remembered seeing a full moon a few days ago, so this astronomical anomaly did not go unnotic-

_**Dark.**_

She looked up in surprise.

"Yang? Blake?" Weiss whispered. "Was that you?

Yang moaned, stirring in her sleep, but other than that there was no response.

"That's.. odd." Weiss muttered, trying to make sense of the situation. She doubled checked, then triple checked her scroll settings. The network connection sign was still shining brightly - its displaying the time every other scroll has.

_Is my scroll malfunctioning?_ she thought, trying to make sense out of the situation.

Suddenly, she felt more alone than she had ever been.

"Ruby?" Weiss said tentatively, seeking the comfort of her partner. "W-Wake up, you dunce!"

"C-cookies." Ruby drooled. Weiss sighed and tapped her partner in the shoulder. When Ruby didn't pudge, Weiss resorted to pinching the scythe-wielder's cheeks. That did the job.

"Uwah!" Ruby awoke, bolting straight up. Her head hit the dorm room ceiling and she whimpered.

"Dolt." Weiss said. Despite her insult, she felt a lot better now that she was no longer alone. "Look out the window."

"Wha?" Ruby mumbled, sleep still heavy on her body. "Why would you make me up so ear… ly."

She faltered as she took in the absolute darkness of the morning sky.

"What's going on?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. Should we wake up the others?"

Ruby's answer was a nimble jump to the floor, landing on the balls of her feet. She approached Blake and Yang's bunk and started tapping on the wooden frame.

"Yang! Yaaaang!" Ruby hissed. "Check out the view!"

"Won't.. let.. go." Yang slurred, stubbornly holding on her pillow like it was her lifeline. "One.. true love.."

Fortunately, Blake was far more cooperative. Her faunus nature sensed impending danger and the tension in the air.

"What is it?" Blake went straight to the point, reaching for Gambol Shroud. The pistol-whip wrapped around her arm and her eyes darted left and right, searching for any signs of trouble. "Night mission?"

"Nope!" Ruby said. "That!" She pointed at the pitch black horizon. Blake stood up and stretched like a cat (pun intended).

"That's.. unusual." Blake admitted.

"My thoughts exactly." Weiss said.

"Maybe its.. smoke!" Ruby said, proudly presenting her explanation.

"I'm rather certain that smoke doesn't snuff out the sun, Ruby." Weiss sighed.

"But Weiss, it's night! Don't you know the sun comes up during the day?" Ruby told Weiss."

Before Weiss could retort, the conversation was interrupted by a frustrated howl.

"Wha'sh wiff all the talking guysh?" Yang complained, finally waking up. "Itsh like, three in the morning! Sheesh!"

"That's the problem." Weiss said. She raised her scroll and pointed to the clock in the display. "According to the global network, we're supposed to be late for school. But the sky.."

All four girls stared out their dorm room window in bewilderment.

"I've never seen anything like it."

* * *

_It's like a movie, but there's not a happy ending;_

_Every scene fades black, and there's no pretending._

* * *

"Did you like, double check it?" Ruby said, scratching her head in confusion.

"Five times. I even set it to the SDC network, and we have the most accurate time schedule in the world." Weiss boasted. "There's nothing wrong with the time display."

"Are you sure?" Yang said, sobering up. "Isn't it more likely for the net to fail than all of Remnant getting late on its rotation?"

"What's out there is definitely not 'night'!" Weiss flared at the jab at her company's competence. "Does that seem natural to you!?" Weiss pointed a finger outside.

There was not a single cloud in sight. Further to the east, where the city of Vale resides, an encroaching darkness covered the land. They could barely see the brightest light of the communication tower, something that should have been easily distinguishable against the pitch black background.

"Hey, chillax princess." Yang said, raising her hand in an appeasing manner. "Just throwing it out there."

"In any case, we should find a teacher." Blake said, ever the voice of reason. "They should know what's going on."

"Yay! We're skipping school!" Ruby declared cheerfully.

"I don't know about that, lil sis." Yang said, glancing once more at the absolute darkness shrouding their world. It was as if the sky was replaced with a view into a neverending abyss. It sent chills down her spine. "I think I prefer a little schoolwork over something like this. At least I'd understand what the problems were."

Yang opened the window hesitantly and air rushed in. But it didn't feel right - it didn't feel fresh. It felt tainted. Outside the academy, the morning chirping of Emerald Forests' birds were silent. The normally beautiful greenery now looked foreboding, the shadows the trees cast upon the ground amplified a hundred fold. The atmosphere was cold and empty and the wind seemed to have stopped altogether. Ruby found herself yearning for the soft morning breeze that she had grown to look forward to every day in Beacon.

"Grab your weapons." Blake said, putting on her uniform.

"Scrolls and weapons, too." Weiss added, attaching Myrtenaster to her waist. "We might need them lat-"

A furious pounding at their door interrupted her. Ruby bounded towards the entrance and paved the way for one agitated Jaune.

"Ruby!" he said, eyes wide and trembling. "What's going on!? The dorms are empty and the sky's gone nuts!"

"Oh Yang-Yang!" Nora appeared from behind her anxious leader and tackled Yang into a hug. "Something bad is going on, but Nora doesn't know what! Is our castle in trouble? Won't you save your QUEEEEEN?"

"Nora.. can't.. breathe." Yang stuttered. Ren and Pyrrha stepped inside the room as well, armed, armored and ready for a fight.

"Now you know how I feel when you hug me." Ruby chastised her sister.

"Guys!" Jaune complained. "Black sky? No sun? Hello?"

"Right." Blake said. "We don't know either, but we're going to find out. We're going to the instructors' office. Care to join us?"

"Of course." Pyrrha said. "But first, there's something you need to know. Ren?"

The attention of both sister teams fell upon the green-clothed boy. He raised his hand and made a weird gesture with it.

Nothing happened.

"I don't.. really get it." Ruby said, eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "Were you trying to do something?"

"Exactly." Ren said, lowering his hand. "I can't use my aura at all. To be more accurate, I don't seem to have one at all."

"I can't use my aura either." Pyrrha said, clenching and unclenching her fists.

"Hyaaa!" Ruby shouted. She crouched into a running stance, charged her trademark Rose Dash - and promptly fell face-first on the floor.

"Ouch." Nora cringed. "Why'd you do that? Doesn't it like, hurt?"

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Ruby protested, holding her throbbing forehead. Weiss helped her up and she dusted off her clothes. "My semblance isn't working!"

"She's right." Blake confirmed their suspicions. "Apparently our semblance and their power source, our aura, aren't working at all."

"This is bad." Weiss said. "We can't fight properly without our semblances! How are we supposed to take on the Grimm, now?"

Everybody grew silent, realizing the implications of losing their aura.

"This is getting us nowhere." Blake said. "It seems that the other students are going to the central building. I suggest we join them."

"Alright, let's go." Ruby said, her cheerful demeanor replaced with a serious mien.

As both teams left the dorm room, they all shared the same thought.

_What on Remnant is going on!?_

* * *

The first who noticed the anomaly was a dozen senior students partying the night before their officiation as the next generation of Hunters. They were out on the rooftop of their dorm rooms - something normally prohibited after curfew, but Ozpin believed leniency is the proper policy. They are, after all, leaving in less than a month.

Their celebration was cut short by a sudden darkness that streaked across the night sky. A pair of students sat side by side before a small bonfire, eyeing their fellow teammates sharing stories on the other side of the rooftop. One was a girl with shiny purple hair, and the other was a boy who opted to go bare chested. Beowolf scars covered his chest, a testament of his experience in four years of combat. He leaned backwards contentedly, but frowned as he looked up.

"Yo Mauve, look."

"I don't wanna see you dunking beer like a pig again, Chen!" Mauve said, refusing to give her teammate her attention. She tinkered with her weapon's flame volume.

"Naw, I'm serious here, something's messed up with the sky." Chen insisted.

Mauve sighed. She supposed there's nothing wrong with a look. It'll probably be him posing like an idiot again, but.. ""The only thing messed up here is your hea-.. What?"

The moon seems to have disappeared from the night sky. Mauve searched from horizon to horizon, trying to find the elusive celestial body, but it looks as if it really was gone. Moreover, the usually serene night sky was desolate of stars.

"See? I'm not always joking around, you know." Chen said indignantly.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Mauve said, frowning. "Maybe really thick smog? We should probably tell the teachers."

"Hey, it's the night before graduation!" Chen said, raising another bottle of beer. "We should be partying hard, not worrying hard, _grandma_!"

"Who are you calling grandma?!" Mauve flared, deploying her flaming flail. Chen scrambled backwards, swearing all the way.

"Freakin' hell, woman!" Chen complained. "You could've killed me!"

"Mess around like that again and I might." Mauve threatened. She sighed and shut down the fire in her flail. "You should be more careful with what you say, you know."

Her eyes were downcast.

"You know I didn't mean it." Chen said, his expression softening.

"I know you don't." Mauve cracked a smile. Confused cries from other seniors jolted the two awake from their moment of camaraderie. It seems that the others had noticed it as well. Remembering the darkness above them, Mauve stood up, offering a hand to her partner.

"Looks like we're all in trouble again." she said.

"What's new?" Chen chuckled.

Despite all their bluster, beyond their smiles and past their banter, both knew the other felt the same uneasiness that seems to have come with the blackened night. They glanced at each other and looked away.

"Do you think everyone's okay?" Mauve muttered.

"I know we will be." Chen said, reassuring her with a firm squeeze with his hand.

They were the top of their class, masters in the art of battle and combat. Be it man or Grimm, they are sure to win. Together, they are unbeatable. But in the darkness?

In the neverending dark, every soul is alone.

* * *

_I know you've lived a nightmare; I caused you so much pain._

_But, baby, please don't do what I did; I don't want you to waste your life in vain._

* * *

Beacon Academy is in chaos.

Team RWBY and JNPR made their way through the crowded hallways, trying to navigate around the hundreds of students roaming the central building. Small crowds formed around the student council rooms, management, staff and administration offices. Some were trying to break inside those rooms, desperate to find out what's going on.

"Hey guys, calm the heck down, would ya?!" Yang shouted.

"Everyone! Stick to your teams!" Pyrrha joined in.

A few turned and heeded their advice - they nodded and tried to rally their teams - but most of the student body are still panicking.

"My aura's gone!" One shouted.

"I'm not healing anymore!" Another panicked.

"Does the teachers know what's going on?" A shy girl whispered.

"My semblance! I can't fight without my semblance!" Skylark shouted.

"We don't have our aura.. are we.. dead?" A horrified girl stammered.

Yang and Pyrrha's advice were drowned in the sea of terrified voices, clamoring for an explanation.

"This is a mess." Yang said, trying to pave a way for the rest of their group.

"They're not wrong." Blake said darkly.

Yang had nothing to say to that.

The sister teams finally arrived at the center of the panic – the teacher's offices. Yang hoisted Ruby on her shoulders for a better view. Ruby looked above the crowd and frowned. There were dozens of people inside, tearing apart the record cabinets for answers.

"So? Any teacher's around, Rubes?" Yang shouted above the din and clang of the crowd.

"There's nobody!" Ruby hollered. "Everyone's messing stuff up!"

"Ah!" Yang heard a pained whimper. She turned to find Velvet cowering under a certain bully's stare.

"Watch it, freak!" Cardin Winchester said. He moved to hit the rabbit faunus, but Jaune and Weiss intercepted

"I told you not to mess with my friends." Jaune said firmly, standing his ground against the leader of team CRDL. The nighttime training Pyrrha had given him in the past few months had earned him several inches of height, leveling their glares. Cardin growled and gripped his mace, but Weiss stepped in, standing side by side with Jaune.

"Try me and kiss a limb goodbye." Weiss threatened, a hand on Myrtenaster's sheath. Ruby gasped. She could tell that Weiss meant business.

Cardin looked as if he was going to start a fight right then and there - but he realized the rest of both team RWBY and JNPR were watching coldly, ready to intervene. He backed off. He may be an ass, but he's not by any means stupid.

"Fucking brats." he swore, and left. Russel, Dove and Lark followed their leader, but not before flashing an apologetic look to their sister teams.

_At least some of them has manners._ Weiss thought.

Ruby sighed in relief.

"That guy.." Yang said, cracking her fists together. "He needs a good beating."

"Filthy brute." Weiss hissed.

"Don't waste your time on him, you guys!" Ruby said, squishing both girls together with her arms. "He's not worth the trouble."

Blake smiled. "I'm surprised you were the first to realize that, Ruby. You've grown a lot this past year."

"My baby sis, wiser than me?" Yang scoffed. "Impossible."

"You're wrong. I drink milk." Ruby declared proudly.

"Meh, you haven't changed at all!" Yang laughed, mussing up her sister's hair. While the sisters bicker, Weiss reached and pulled Velvet away from the crowd.

"Mister Jaune! Miss Weiss!" Velvet said, coming face to face with her rescuers. "Thank you very much! I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here.."

"It's no trouble." Jaune smiled reassuringly, patting the rabbit faunus's shoulders. Blake chuckled when she noticed Pyrrha grow tense.

_At least some things haven't changed. _Blake thought.

"Why is everyone so unsettled?" Weiss asked. "We've practiced for Grimm assault drills and numeorus natural disasters. There shouldn't be any reason for this kind of panic."

"This is not in anyway natural." Velvet said. "We've lost our aura and the sun isn't rising. To make things worse, we're not going to be able to fight off Grimm without our semblances and not having any aura means we're all vulnerable."

"We know that, but shouldn't we be trying to find the teachers?" Yang said.

"Everyone's been trying all morning!" Velvet explained. "You saw the commotion there! The rest of my team is searching the maintenance rooms and power generators for instructors. I think Coco's gone to the staff houses. I was assigned to the offices, but no luck there, either."

"Splitting up sounds like a good idea for now." Pyrrha said. "How about we go in pairs and search the academy grounds for answers?"

"Sounds good to me!" Ruby said.

"Alright. How about this?" Jaune proposed. "I'll go with Ren to the administration office; Pyrrha and Nora can check the classrooms."

"I think team CFVY has the rest of the school covered." Weiss said. "I think team RWBY should go to Vale."

"Yeah, it doesn't look so good over there." Yang said.

"Then it's settled." Blake said. "Ruby, will you and Weiss go to the communication tower and contact the other academies? We need to know if this is an isolated event and if they could provide either some help or some answers."

"Good idea." Ruby said. "Then we'll need you and Yang to contact Vale police in case Fox and Yatsuhashi can't use the school communication center."

"Got it." Blake smiled.

"We should meet back at the dorm room by.. twelve. Sound good?" Jaune said. Everyone nodded.

"Great!" Ruby smiled. "Let's go!"

* * *

"Professor Peace isn't here, either." Pyrrha said, disappointment apparent in her voice.

"Aw, Peachy-Pooh's gone too?" Nora pouted. They closed the door to the empty classroom and headed once more to the hallways, empty handed.

"Well, there's one last classroom we could check." Pyrrha thought out loud.

The two girls of team JNPR headed to the class at the end of the hallway. Thankfully, it was empty - most students have congregated in either the auditorium or the empty teacher's meeting room, where many are desperately searching for answers. Other than a few stragglers, Pyrrha and Nora had yet to meet someone with any idea of what's happening.

"We're coming in!" Pyrrha said preemptively.

Pyrrha opened the door and Nora bounded in a split second after.

"Professor Oobleck~" Nora sang. The lecture room was a mess as usual; paper clutter scattered across the curved tables and a stack of empty coffee cups on the professor's desk. When it grew apparent that the room was empty as well, she pouted again. "Aw, he's not here either."

"This is not good." Pyrrha said, frowning. "Let's see if the others found someth-"

"Good morning, girls!"

Professor Oobleck rose from beneath his desk, coffee cup in one hand and a bunch of papers with messy notes on the other. He looks disheveled and tired, unlike the energetic, hyperfast professor they were used to. It was disconcerting.

"Professor Oobleck!" Pyrrha exclaimed.

Nevertheless, he was the first sign of authority they've found since all morning, and it reassured her that everything's going to be just fine.

_Finally, a teacher._

"Something's really wrong with the sky, Oobleck!" Nora said, jumping up and down in front of the professor. "Everyone's confused and Pancake Friday is in ruins!" she sobbed.

"Can you tell us what's going on?" Pyrrha said.

"They're gone." Oobleck said, sipping his coffee. "Up and vanished, just like that. I have been trying to deduce a viable cause to the phenomenon. I've written over seventy eight plausible scenarios that produces similar results to this event, but none of them match the loss of aura or the missing sun. It's simply something never observed before in the history of Remnant. I'm afraid I've failed."

"Who's gone?" Pyrrha asked.

"Most of the professors and the rest of the staff." Oobleck said. "Some of us are still here, apparently. I just saw Professor Port and Goodwitch heading to the docks. Unfortunately, I have yet to see Ozpin or the others."

"Then that's where we're going next." Pyrrha decided. Nora nodded in agreement

"What're ya gonna do now, Professor Oobleck?" Yang said.

"Since I have yet to be briefed of the situation, I doubt I can alleviate the concerns of the student body in the hallways." Oobleck said, fiddling with his Thermostaff. "I will head for the communications center and establish contact with the Vale police force. Perhaps they are in need of assistance as well. Very well, girls."

He tipped his hat. "Good luck."

Oobleck turned around and left. It was obvious that he was trying to put up a calm front, but Pyrrha could tell he was shaken. The historical genius once said - "If you fail to learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it." But there is nothing in the three thousand years of human existence that signalled the coming of an event such as this. He was like a fish out of water, and Pyrrha knew exactly how he felt.

The world has been turned upside down, and there's nothing she could do about it.

* * *

we don't fear the dark

we fear what's in it

**Part One of Five**


	2. Black Fear - Edit II

_I wasn't dreaming when they told me you were gone,_

_I was wide awake and feeling that they had to be wrong._

* * *

"Jaune."

"Yeah, I'm coming." Jaune said breathlessly. He caught up with the R of team JNPR and stood beside him, staring at the locked administration office. The room was dark and empty as well. Computers and file cabinets lined the walls and sides of the room. There were papers, files and post-it-notes scattered everywhere, but no signs of the teachers either.

"Drats." Jaune said. "Nobody's here, either."

"I suppose that's to be expected." Ren said.

"Yeah.." Jaune said. "But I couldn't help but hope, y'know?"

Jaune leaned against the doorframe of the administration office, taking a breather after running over half of Beacon in less than five minutes. He didn't realize how big the place actually was. For a relatively small student population, Beacon certainly is a pretty big place. Moreover, not having aura had drastically reduced his perseverance. His muscles ached like never before, not used to not having access to the ample pool of energy that is his aura.

"You should put more time into stamina training." Ren said, noticing his partner's exhaustion. "Your stamina is fine for duels in combat class, but if we are to encounter a prolonged engagement, you wouldn't be able to maintain that peak for long. It can also help you keep going even if you run out of aura during a fight."

"Yeah, you're right." Jaune admitted. "I'll ask Pyrrha next time we train. But for now, we need to find a new objective."

_Would there be a next time? _Jaune thought darkly. He shook those thoughts aside - it won't help him now.

"Where do you suggest we go?" Ren asked.

Jaune scratched his chin, trying to look contemplative.

"Let's check in on team CFVY in the communications centre." Jaune said after a moment. "Maybe they've got something."

"Alright." Ren said. "Lead the way."

When Jaune shuffled his feet and looked away, Ren sighed.

"You don't know where it is, do you?" Ren guessed.

"I've never had to go there, okay!" Jaune protested. "There's like, two hundred buildings in here!"

"Forty-seven. But okay." Ren smiled. He looked at the city of Vale, shrouded in darkness_, _then the central school buildings. The image of a certain energetic girl came into mind and he frowned.

"I hope they're okay, too.' Jaune guessed, placing a comforting hand on Ren's shoulder.

"I don't understand why we worry." Ren admitted. "It is such an unreasonable emotion. It does not help anyone, but I still do even though we are far more likely to get into trouble that those two."

"We worry 'cause we care. I'd be more concerned if you weren't worried." Jaune said. "Simple as that. Besides, why are you worrying about them at all? Pyrrha's the best student in our year and Nora is.. well, Nora. "

Ren chuckled at that.

"I suppose you're right." he sighed, then brightened with renewed resolve. "Let's go."

* * *

_.. When we've lost all hope and succumb to fear_

_As the skies rain blood and the end draws near.._

* * *

Stepping off of Weiss's personal Dustship, Ruby bounded through the empty shipyard with a look of distress on her face. Normally she'd be glad that she could do whatever she wanted like this, but all she wants right now was a friendly face to greet. The ride to Vale had been sobering, and Weiss looked as if she was thinking so hard her head might pop off.

_Ew._ Ruby thought. _Bad thought. Think happy thoughts, happy thoughts._

Weiss scowled at the empty scene and Ruby felt another twinge of sadness. The entire day her partner seems to have such horrid expressions etched to her normally pristine and calm face. Her hair was a mess her usual self would never stand for, but she doesn't seem to care.

_Don't frown like that, Weiss._ Ruby thought. That's not fun. That's not you. Your smiles are a million times better.

"Where _is _everybody?" Weiss complained out of frustration.

"Is there a party we weren't invited to? Ruby suggested, trying to lighten up the mood.

"I don't think professors go to parties, Ruby, and they're gone." Weiss said, taking her partner literally. "Besides, if there's a festival that size we'd hear it from miles away."

"Then what do you think is going on?"

"I originally thought that most of the adults are gone and they're simply giving us a test of some sort." Weiss said. "But they can't possibly have the entire city going in it, so I'll say it now - I have no clue what's happening."

"I'm sure Professor Ozpin knows!" Ruby brightened, pulling her scroll out and calling the wisest and most knowledgeable person she knew. This is it! He wouldn't fail her, or anyone else for that matter.

"Ruby, the global ne-" Weiss started.

"Shhh!" Ruby shushed. A vein in Weiss's forehead twitched in indignation.

_It's so like you_, though. Weiss thought, sighing. _Always hopeful, never giving up._

Ruby frowned. Two words passed by her scroll display - _No Connection_.

"I tried to tell you, but the global net just went offline an hour ago." Weiss said, putting her hands on her hips as she chastised the younger girl. "The orbital satellites are probably cut off by the black clouds."

"Sorry." Ruby apologized.

"Don't be." Weiss said.

"What are we gonna do now?" Ruby thought out loud.

"Ruby." There was tension and anticipation in the heiress's voice.

"What?" Ruby asked.

"Grimm." Weiss said, placing a hand on Myrtenaster's sheath.

Ruby followed her gaze and felt horror grip her mind.

They were everywhere. On the streets, on the rooftops; crawling by the walls, slithering around empty vehicles. They were coming everywhere like silent wraiths, red eyes shining behind their masks. Their claws dug into the gravel, the concrete, the bricks - they were practically crawling through the entire district. Up on the skyline, the Grimm were barely distinguishable against the pitch black background of the sky. If they didn't have their white masks, Ruby would never have noticed them there in the first place.

She took an involuntary step back. The entire city was infested with Grimm.

_How?_

It shouldn't be possible. Vale was capital of one of the four great Cities of Remnant. There were multiple walls, barricades and armaments lined up all around the city. Even if there were nobody around, they always had an army of Atlasian automatons ready to repel the Grimm at any moment.

_The cloud. It must be the cloud. _Ruby thought.

She didn't have time to ponder that train of thought. There were more pressing concerns she must attend to.

"I don't know how you got past the barriers, but I'll stop you!" Ruby swore. Crescent Rose extended, she charged into battle.

"Ruby, wait!" Weiss shouted in alarm. "You don't have your aura!"

"It's our job to protect the city, aura or not!" Ruby said, glancing back with a smile.

_You dunce._ Weiss said, finding herself admiring her idealistic leader even more. Drawing Myrtenaster, Weiss set her rapier to fire dust mode. _I can't do much without my semblance, but maybe I can scare them off with.. huh?_

Ruby had stopped halfway in her dash. Her hands grew limp and the tip of Crescent Rose buried itself on the concrete ground.

"Ruby!" Weiss shouted. "What's wrong?"

"The Grimm.." Ruby whispered. "They.."

Weiss looked at humanity's mortal enemies and her mouth hung open.

They were whimpering. The Demons of the Night, Werebeasts of Old, Abominations of Creation - their heads hung low and they ran away the moment they saw Ruby. Weiss saw others walking around in a submissive manner she'd never seen Grimm exhibit, ever. Ursa were trying to burrow their way inside buildings. Nevermores were perched on the rooftops, pitch black feathers falling on the ground without care. Beowolves ran around in packs, howling at the sky with distress.

They didn't look like an invading force; they looked like scared animals seeking shelter.

"We have to go back." Weiss said. "We can't deal with this many Grimm by ourselves."

"The townspeople.." Ruby said.

"Are... fine." Weiss said. Ruby noticed the pause between both words. Weiss didn't really know what happened in the city, either, but she was trying to reassure Ruby anyway. _That's just like her._

"There's nobody here, but there are people we should worry about back in Beacon. Okay?" Weiss continued.

Ruby looked down, saddened. Weiss took the initiative and walked up to her leader. Ruby's woeful visage gave way to a warm smile as the heiress's thin arms embraced her. They seem so fragile, yet Ruby had seen their strength in combat. Those pale arms of hers were undeniably strong, capable of summoning incredibly complex Dust runes and tuning the might of Nature's Wrath to her will. Those hands, which used to be so called, felt like the warmest thing Ruby had ever touched with.

"It'll be fine, Ruby." Weiss said, for Ruby's sakes and her own. She was confused and.. she'll admit it - afraid, but she can't afford to let it show. She is a Huntress, in line for the largest commercial company in the entirety of Remnant, and putting on a brave front is something she'll have to learn sooner or later.

"Thanks, Weiss." Ruby sniffed. "You're the best teammate ever."

"I know." Weiss said. "Let's go."

Both girls were comforted in the thought that no matter what happens, they'll always have each other. The goofy yet determined team leader and the

A shadow of a doubt slipped inside Ruby's heart.

_Right?_

* * *

_It doesn't matter now._

_The petals scatter now._

_Every nightmare just discloses, it's your blood that's red like roses,_

_And no matter what I do, nothing ever takes the place.. of you._

* * *

"The hell is going on here, Junior!?" Yang said.

"I don't know! I swear!" the mobster said, raising his hands in fear of the raging blonde. In the few times they've met, he's never seen her so angry. "All my boys are gone, too! Nobody's coming to the club and it's supposed to be the busiest night of the year!"

Yang let him go and he scrambled away, cursing his luck. He left the club through the backdoor, leaving Yang and Blake alone in the mob club. The club was loud with pre-set music. Yang walked around and nonchalantly plucked a succulent brownie from the dessert table.

"Yum" Yang said appreciatively.

"He doesn't seem to know anything, either." Blake said, summing up their encounter.

"Junior's my contact. He's supposed to know everything that's going on in the city." Yang said, putting down the brownie and picking up a bottle of tequila. She ignored Blake's disapproving look and poured some on a fancy glass. She downed it in one go, belching afterwards. Then she looked annoyed. "I don't know who else to go to for information."

"If he is clueless as to how this event came to be, doesn't it imply that everybody else is just as confused?" Blake reasoned.

"I guess." Yang said. "Hey, wanna dance?"

"What?" Blake said, unsure of where Yang was going with the suggestion.

"Dance." Yang reaffirmed. "You know, crazy moves, club music, undulating hips.." she moved her own to demonstrate it. Blake merely raised an eyebrow and replied, "I'm merely surprised you're able to use the word 'undulating' in a sentence."

"Ouchie, Blakey!" Yang laughed. "You're so tense! C'mere." she extended a welcoming hand.

"Wait-" but the word wait doesn't exist in the blonde brawler's dictionary as she pulled her partner onto the glass dance floor, which still retained several crack marks from when she smashed it apart almost a year ago.

_Oops_. Yang thought. _No wonder Junior's always pissed when he sees me._

Yang closed her eyes and felt the music, trying to get used to the rhythm. When she found a reasonable pace, she opened her eyes and smiled at her shy partner, who merely stood there with her arms crossed timidly across her chest. Yang pried Blake's arms apart and spun her around. Blake squealed in surprise and fell, only to be caught by Yang's steady hands. Yang pulled her up and she was once again sent flying across the dance floor.

"I don't know about this." Blake said.

"Come on, just do it! Like, feel the music. Let the beat flow through you.." Yang swayed from side to side, following the rhythm, until the beat dropped, at which she somersaulted once, twice, thrice until she reached the very edge of the dance floor. The music grew into a lull and the carefree girl pointed a challenging finger at her partner.

_Might as well try._ Blake said. She followed Yang's lead - she closed her eyes and tried to attune herself to the rhythm. The compelling beats, the plethora of electronic sounds, the distorted voice.. it was not different from the meditations she did during training. But instead of becoming one with the silence, she found herself aligning herself with the various array of pulsating sounds that make up the whole.

She began to move. Her arms moved here and there as if she was evading the enemy, holding an imaginary Gambol Shroud and taking down Ursa and thugs alike. She moved faster and faster and started to find the music fu- tolerable.

"Yeah!" Yang cheered at her partner's progress. "You'll be a clubbin' like a pro in no time!"

"Shut up." Blake smiled. They closed the distance between each other. Yang took the lead, whirling around Blake. Strobe lights and a dazzling array of colorful explosions dotted their world, and Blake found herself entranced by Yang's flowing hair, its golden luminescence shining brightly through every other color in the room. She smiled. Yang was always the one to bring out this side of her, a carefree side who wanted to live, to shine, to be whatever she wants to be. Yang was the only person she was truly comfortable being herself, and Blake thought of how she could make Yang know how much she meant to her.

Yang found herself falling for the cat faunus even harder. Her figure, elegant in both dancing and battle, was more alluring than anything she had ever seen. She remembered the past her partner had left, the traumatic battles and friends she had lost along the way. She had come far from the unstable shell she was in the beginning of the year. Blake had become the most important person in her life alongside her sister Ruby - she could not think of a better person as her partner.

The music intensified, escalating to its climax.

_It doesn't have to be this way,  
_

They drew closer, circling each other with panting breaths and messy hair.

_Let's kiss and make up, then you'll learn  
_

Blake could smell her scent. It was beautiful ferocity; golden joy.

_You can fight your life away  
_

Yang's heart beat like a drum, faster and faster until it was even with the frantic pace of the music.

_I get what I want so don't bother and just watch me  
_

**_Burn._**

Their noses touch, their lips parted, and they-

The lights went dark.

* * *

Red emergency lights kicked in, showering the room with crimson illumination. The music died, and with it their dancing. They separated, looking away in embarassment and disappointment.

"Huh." Yang said. She looked down, disappointed. "I guess there's that."

"I guess." Blake said. She looked up to her partner and said, "and then there's this."

Tender arms brought Yang close and warm lips met hers. Yang gasped in surprise, but quickly melted against Blake's touch. Their kiss intensified as Blake strengthened her embrace, a move Yang was quick to reciprocate. They kissed their confusion away, their sorrow, their regrets. Their hands ran through each others' hair, embracing the silky feeling and the joy of realizing their feelings.

They broke away, gasping for air.

"Holy shit, Blake." Yang grinned brightly. "I didn't know you had it in you."

"Only because a certain idiot wasn't picking up the hints." Blake said, looking bashful.

Yang leaned forward. Their foreheads touched and they closed their eyes, cherishing the moment.

"I love you." Blake said, surprisingly straightfoward.

"I love me, too." Yang joked. Blake pouted, something Yang found criminally adorable, until she repeated the words as well. "I love you, too."

Blake's purring was music to Yang's ears.

They stood side by side in thought until Blake broke the silence.

"Yang, how do we leave?"

"Through the front door, silly!" Yang said. "Where else?"

She turned around to leave, but felt firm hands yanking her back.

"Ouch!" she said. "What was that for, Blake?"

'You should look where you're going." Blake said, pointing at the door.

"What?" Yang looked.. and gasped.

Instead of a door, the entrance of junior's club was wrapped in a sphere of utter darkness.

* * *

"Weiss, over here!" Ruby whispered.

"I'm coming." She looked around to make sure there were no Grimm close behind and joined her partner in the alleyway.

Even though the Grimm looked fearful and submissive, Weiss wasn't taking any chances. There's few things less dangerous than a cornered animal with nothing to lose. She opted to return to the shipyards the long way around. Ruby led her through a series of shortcuts until they arrived at the Commercial District, where it's an easy mile or two to the docks.

They arrived on an empty street. Ruby went out first to make sure it was truly deserted before gesturing for Weiss to follow. Weiss nodded, then set Myrtenaster to Ice Dust. She proceeded to summon a barrier of ice on the alleyway behind her. If anyone, or anything, was following them, it should buy them some time.

They were halfway through the district when Weiss heard a stall door open.

"Missy! Missy!"

Weiss glanced to see a distraught old man with a (literally) dusty apron go out of a shop. He came up to Ruby, breathing hard. Weiss read the sign hanging above his shop. It read "From Dust 'Till Dawn".

_A dust shop, huh? _

"Old man!" Ruby exclaimed happily. "Are you okay? Do you know what happened to the city?"

"I don't! But I saw something horrible happen to my customers!"

Ruby felt goosebumps erupt throughout her body.

"W.. What?" she said uncertainly.

"They.. faded." The old man said. "Agh! I can't find a better explanation, but they faded, alright!"

"Calm down." Weiss said, placing both her hands on his shoulders. "Look at me."

He did. The distress in his eyes were palpable.

"Can you elaborate?" Weiss continued.

"Y-Yes." the old man said. "It was just another morning, and customers were starting to go enter. I open early, you see. They were browsing through my wares when I realized something unusual was going on."

"What is it?" Weiss asked softly.

"Like I said. They were.. fading. I can't describe it better than that; for some reason I was able to see past their bodies and straight at the dust shelves! I walked up to them and asked them if they needed to go to a hospital, but.."

"What is it?" Ruby asked, upset.

"They acted as if I wasn't there." The old man said in horror. "And when I tried to touch them.. my hand passed through them like smoke. Soon enough, they were all gone. Just like that."

"By Dust." Weiss swore softly.

"Did.. did that happen to the teachers, too?" Ruby whimpered, tearing up.

Weiss gathered the young girl in her arms as she began to cry.

"You should join us in Beacon, sir." Weiss said, running her hand through Ruby's hair comfortingly. "The city is overrun by Grimm, and I'm sure we can protect and house you for the time being.."

".. Sir?"

He wasn't responding. His eyes were empty, and they stared straight ahead.

"I said, would you like to come with-" Weiss reached for the shopkeeper.

And her hand passed through his body.

Weiss screamed and flinched back. She and Ruby toppled to the ground and looked just as the old man's apparition faded away.

* * *

an empty husk, a hollow shell

**Part Two of Five**


	3. Black Void - Edit II

Dark Ruins

* * *

_Red like roses fills my head with dreams and finds me,_

_Always closer to the emptiness and sadness,_

_That has come to take the place of you._

* * *

"Hey Pyrrhaaa! Look at that, it's free pancakes!" Nora brightened. She vaulted over the cafeteria counter and into the kitchen. Breaking into the pantry, she proceeded to snatch a giant bowl from a nearby cabinet and started piling dozens of pancakes inside.

"We don't have time for snacks, Nora!" Pyrrha said sternly.

"That's ridiculous! There's always time for pancakes." Nora countered. She shoved two whole pancakes into her mouth and squealed in delight. Half the contents of a maple syrup bottle followed afterwards, and soon enough her face was overflowing with sugar in diabetic quantities. "Vhish ish ghreat!"

"Nora, we have to go to the auditorium now!" Pyrrha said. "Didn't we hear the student council over the loudspeakers? We should be assembling in the auditorium, not messing around in the cafeteria!"

"Vhy shfould vhe?" Nora refused stubbornly, her voice distorted by the presence of sweetness incarnate in her mouth. She swallowed before speaking again, a habit team JNPR has Ren to thank for. ""They're just as confused as we are. Besides, I haven't had my breakfast and I'm famished, and I'm betting you are, too. When's the last time you ate - yesterday afternoon?"

"How..?" Pyrrha was surprised that her teammate actually took notice of that. _Nevermind that, there's more pressing matters to attend to._ "But-" Pyrrha started.

"Do you really think going there RIGHT NOW is going to change anything?" Nora asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

"I guess you're right." Pyrrha said, astonished by Nora's perceptiveness. With all her antics and ridiculous speeches, it's difficult to keep in mind that Nora is one of the top students in Beacon, especially in combat.

"You're not wrong, either." Nora said, paddling her legs over the cafeteria counter. She finished a few more pancakes before talking again. "You know," Nora jumped to the floor and tilted her head to the side. "You're top of the class, popular and smart to boot. You can get _together_ together with like, any guy you want!" Nora said brightly. "Including Jaune!"

"W-Wait! Where is this coming from!?" Pyrrha asked, flustered. "And no! I.. don't like.. I mean.."

"Why not?" Nora shrugged. "Come on, Pyrr, everyone knows about it!"

"Everyone?!" Pyrrha flushed dark red.

"Yep!"

Pyrrha looked as if she was about to deny the accusation again, but finally slumped in defeat.

"Yeah, I like him. So what?" Pyrrha said.

"With all this stuff going on, shouldn't you tell him that?" Nora said. Pyrrha noticed the faraway look in her eyes. "You might not get the chance to do it later."

She looked a little sad.

"You don't seem like yourself, Nora." Pyrrha said carefully.

"Yeah, I guess." Nora admitted. "I get this way when Ren's not around."

"Then are you keeping up your bubbly side just for his sake?" Pyrrha asked. "That's not good, you know. I'm sure Ren would accept all of you, even when you're not super happy like usual."

"No, not that." Nora said. "I AM the queen of the castle, never forget that." The running gag earned her a chuckle for her red haired teammate. "But recently I've been thinking…" Pyrrha saw her eyes grew distant with a yearning look.

"Of what?" Pyrrha asked softly.

It stunned Nora out of her train of thoughts and she shook her head.

"Nevermind! Let's go!" she said, stretching on the tips of her toes.

"But I didn't even get the pancakes!" Pyrrha complained, finally admitting to her hunger.

"Here!" Nora said, swiping some pancakes over spilled maple syrup and slapping in her teammate's face. "Food on the go!"

"NORAAAA!" Pyrrha shouted, both in exasperation and relief. It was good to know that some things hasn't changed.

Nora laughed and escaped to the hallways, a furious redhead hot on her heels. She was glad she got Pyrrha to relax. She was extremely tense the whole day, especially when Jaune panicked in the morning over aura loss. She was the same way as well, with Ren's absence, but she wouldn't let it show.

Few things bother Nora in this world, but one of them is to be separated from Ren.

"_With all this stuff going on, shouldn't you tell him that?"_

She really can't say it, can she?

* * *

_Never knew a time, when you weren't by my side.  
The one thing I could always count on.  
Always there for me, you've been my family.  
Even when all other hope was gone. _

* * *

He really can't say it, can he?

Ren pondered his relationship with a certain Nora Valkyrie as he followed his distressed leader through the chaotic common grounds of Beacon Academy. She was his childhood friend - his first friend, actually. She was someone who wasn't afraid of to be frank; a funky tomboy with a knack for pancakes and smashing things. They grew up together. Nora helped build Ren's first treehouse. Ren hid Nora after she raided the neighbor's fridge. Nora forced him to play dress-up with her. She would paint his hair pink, something he allowed only after she promised it would wash out afterwards. His pink hair was something he used to hate, then tolerate, then cherish as the days passed by. He taught her how to escape in case she was being pursued. He was the shoulder she cried on when she was banned from eating pancakes for painting Mrs. Rosary's plants bright pink. She comforted him in his loneliness, a steadfast friend when everybody else left.

A memory rose from the tumultuous storm of his mind.

_They were sitting by the window sill, enjoying the clear night sky of their cabin. It was the vacation before they were about to enter combat school for the first time. Their families had agreed to spend their holiday in a mountain range as a gift to their children from graduating. Separating Nora and Ren had always resulted in an out of control Nora and a shut-down Ren, so both sides knew that there is no separating them._

_ Praetor Combat school.. the thought both scared and excited him. Six more years, five if they were good enough, until they can apply for Beacon - the academy of their dreams. Nora had been so excited at the notion of forging her own weapon that Ren had to chuck his month's share of pancake to calm her down, something eleven year old Ren was a little miffed about. Pancakes aren't his favorite food, but they were sweet and he liked them.  
_

_"Hey Ren." Nora asked, breaking the silence. He knew that she would - it was her nature. Silence was not in the dictionary of Nora Valkyrie._

_"Yes?" He replied.  
_

_"Do you think the stars are lonely?" Nora asked. "I mean, they look so close together from here. But in reality, they're further apart than anything in the universe.."_

_She trailed off._

_He took her hand and smiled. She looked up, a little confused, and squealed when Ren pulled her into a tight hug._

_"Don't worry, Nora." Ren said, pulling away but remaining close enough that he could see her lips, which had a cut from their adventures earlier that day. He could see her hair, messy and unkempt, but soft and alluring nonetheless. He could see her eyes, clear and true, trust reflecting from their sky blue hue. "We'll always be together."_

_"Forever?" Nora said in wonder.  
_

_"Forever." Ren confirmed, smiling._

_"Pinky promise me!" Nora insisted, raising her hand. _

_"Alright." Ren shrugged.  
_

_Ren raised his own and their little fingers intertwined. A falling star streaked across the sky and Nora stared out the window, mouth agape.  
_

_They separated shortly after, content is simply enjoing the moment. _

_"But not together, together... y'know.." Nora quickly added afterwards, blushing._

_"Of course.' Ren said, expressionless._

_They got off the window and went to their respective beds. Their parents knew they were best friends, but they were still members of the opposite gender, so they arranged for them to have their own beds.  
_

_He was awoke earlier than he expected. A storm was raging outside, pitter pattering against their window. Lightning flash and thunder roared, but they weren't the reason of his awakening. Nora stood by his bed, clutching his sheets in fear._

_"Ren.." she whispered. "T-The storm.."_

_"Come here," he said, raising his sheets. "You won't be able to sleep otherwise, right?"_

_Nora nodded and crawled into his bed._

_"'Night, Ren."_

_"Good night, Nora."_

_Silence._

_"Oh, and Ren?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Thanks."_

_"Sure."_

_Their proximity comforted each other, and they soon fell asleep._

The memory was bittersweet.

He wasn't able to say it then, either.

"-en. Ren! ... you okay?" Jaune asked, waving a hand in front of the aura expert's face.

"U-Uh, yeah." he said, shaking his worries away. He closed his eyes, calming his troubled mind, and opened it with renewed resolve. First and foremost, he had to confirm whether or not Fox and Yatsuhashi had successfully established communication with the other cities, and whether or not they have new data on what is going on. Then they'll reassemble at the auditorium, inform the student council of what they've found and-

The creaking of a gate broke his focus. He glanced at an adjacent building

_What?_

He saw four Hunter teams leave the General Armory, carrying explosives and armed to the teeth. They were all clothed in heavy armor, something Hunters wear only when they expect a prolonged engagement with the Grimm. The black body armor mirrored the Grimm's skin. Two slits that passes for eye holes glew soft blue, marking the only difference between the Hunters and the Grimm.

Those uniforms can only mean one thing.

The Beacon Four. Teams STRK, NIYX, ALPA and DRED. The top ranked Hunter teams in Remnant. They were the ones who leave the Barriers to exterminate Grimm population and keep them from going out of control - and even then, they could just barely suppress the black beasts' tide.

_The fact that they're out here means that there are Grimm to fight.._ Ren mused. _Grimm too strong for first and second years.. a migration, perhaps?_

He tapped Jaune in the shoulder and pointed out the Hunter teams. Jaune paused, narrowed his eyes at the armed group and nodded. They jogged together to the Hunter party. Jaune waved and one of them approached him.

"Where are you guys going?" Jaune asked.

The helmet lowered momentarily, revealing sharp red eyes.

"Go to the auditorium with everyone else." a coarse, husky voice said. Ren recognized their owners as Crimson, a fourth year Hunter with a spotless record. He had taught team JNPR on group and individual battle tactics and styles in preparation of the upcoming Vytal Festival. He appreciated the cool, level-headed teen, but the fact he was out in the open with weapons means that there's trouble. Big trouble.

"We're heading to the communications patrol room, but the question here is what are _you_ doing?" Jaune asked bluntly.

"We're.. going on patrol." the Hunter looked away.

"You're not fooling anyone, Crimson." Ren said. "Grimm, isn't it? Enough of them that you'd need to equip yourself with Sentinel armors."

"I suppose nothing get pasts you, Ren." Crimson sighed. He raised his head and gazed at Jaune and Ren. " The Barriers are down, both here and in the city. They're coming in droves. We're going to defend the western perimeter. As for our armor, it's bulky, but with our aura gone there really is no other option. None of us can go against the Grimm anymore. Not if we want to live, that is."

"The Barriers..?" Jaune trailed off in disbelief. "That's impossible! There's power generators and back ups-"

"Which are powered by the city." Crimson said. "And Vale's is emptier than a Grimm's soul right now. The power's out. We're running on emergency generators, here. To be honest, the lights will probably go out by the end of the night."

"Unbelievable." Ren breathed.

"We still don't know what's happening, but we're not going to let a single Grimm step inside this academy." Crimson said, raising the malicious looking Elemental Axe in his hands. His expression grew sober once more. "Jaune, listen. I'm telling you this because I want you to ask help from the other cities. Vale police is gone and so are most of Valian Hunters. Frankly, if they don't send help soon, we'll lose Beacon. Now go!"

Jaune nodded.

"Good luck."

"Thanks, we'll need it."

The visor closed, tranquil blue hiding intense red. Crimson moved like a wraith and joined the rest of his team.

* * *

"What the hell is that?" Yang swore, staring dumbfounded at the black sphere. Unconsciously, she extended a hand towards the enigmatic sphere. Blake took her hand and pulled her back once more.

"I don't think we want to touch that." Blake said.

"R-Right." Yang said. "Let's get going-"

SHKRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK!

The red emergency lights faltered, shrouding the room with shadows. More spheres materialized here and there - buried in the walls, floating on the ceiling, standing still in the middle of the dance floor.. Fissures appeared in the pillars and walls of the night club, accompanied by furious thunderclaps of cracking steel and concrete. An overhang snapped and fell, crushing the DJ booth. Bottles of alcoholic beverages and empty glasses fell off the bar shelves, shattering on the floor.

"The building.." Yang breathed. "It's falling apart."

Junior's club shook, its foundations and supports compromised. The disco ball fell. Both Huntresses separated into opposite corners of the room, avoiding the rain of glass shards that ensued, but without their aura, some were unavoidable. They grunted in pain as shards sliced and embedded themselves into their skin, but the shards weren't their only problem.

"Yang, watch out!" Blake shouted. Yang flashed a look to the left and saw an entire section of the wall coming down on top of her. She leaped away as far as she can, but realized it wasn't far enough. The wall fell. Her eyes dilated. _Is this..?_

She closed her eyes.

_Shwang!_

Yang opened her eyes to see the sharpened tip of Gambol Shroud bury itself on the piece of rubble. Blake pulled at the rope with all her might and the wall crashed to Yang's side with mere inches to spare.

"Thanks!" Yang said, getting up to her feet.

"Don't mention it!" Blake replied, running to her partner's side.

"This way!" Yang said, grabbing the cat faunus's hand and running for the back exit. They dodged falling pillars, bricks and debris - those too big to evade Yang destroyed with Ember Celica; the smaller ones being taken care of by Blake's Gambol Shroud. But even then the glass shards and razor sharp dust were impossible to stop - both Huntresses grunted as their cuts and bruises multiplied. They reached the door. Yang pulled down on the handle, but soon realized that it was locked.

"Damn you, Junior!" Yang cursed. She punched the door, but the solid steel held. She continued to rain furious blows upon the only barrier between them and freedom. She struck and punched until blood poured from her torn knuckles, her soft, luminescent skin shredded in the attempt.

Exhausted, Yang stepped back, wheezing.

"Yang." Blake mouthed.

"WE ARE NOT! DYING! HERE!" Yang shouted, emphasizing each word with brutal kicks. She heard the hinges buckle _I CAN DO THIS! I MUST!_

"HYAAAAAAAAAH!" She delivered a final, brutal kick that broke both the door and her foot. The steel door fell backwards, revealing the corridor leading to the alleyway.. and their freedom.

"AAAAOUUUUCH!" she limped to a stunned Blake, smiling. "Let's not give up too fast, mkay?"

"Yang.." Blake said. "Your hands and foot.."

"Huh? This?" Yang said nonchalantly, biting back her pain with pure will. She stared at her fingers, two of them twisted in unnatural directions, and her broken foot. Despite her bravado, the pain was nothing to scoff at - Yang made a mental note to appreciate her aura if she ever got it back.

Yang walked up towards her partner.

"It's nothing compared to losing you." Yang said softly, caressing Blake's face. The cat faunus moved in for a passionate kiss. Amidst the crumbling building and the ominous spheres of pulsating darkness, they lost themselves in each other.

Because in that moment, for all they know, the apocalypse can fuck off and go to hell.

But all too soon, reality sets in. The shaking intensified and they broke away breathlessly.

"NOW LET'S GO!" Yang said triumphantly, rushing to the corridor to the outside world-

-something was wrong.

"YANG, WAIT!" Blake shouted. Yang looked up and saw a huge piece of debris falling towards her. She raised Ember Celica and pulled the trigger. A hollow click was the weapon's reply.

_No.._Yang thought. _Not here. Not like this!_

A familiar shadow tackled her and she blacked out.

* * *

They were halfway across the academy grounds when Ren collapsed.

"Ren? Ren!" Jaune said, hurrying to his green-clothed teammate's aid. "What's wrong?"

Ren wheezed, holding his throat in his hands as if something was choking him. He opened his mouth, but when he did, nothing came out. Jaune smacked him in the back, thinking that he swallowed something, but Ren shook his head weakly.

Jaune frowned. "What's the problem, then?"

Ren continued to retch. He didn't respond.

"Crap, crap, crap." Jaune hoisted Ren on his shoulders. "Gotta find help, but where?"

_The nurse's office._

"Hang on, buddy!" Jaune said, supporting a coughing Ren as he checked his surroundings, trying to find out where they are and figure out the fastest route to the infirmary.

As they walked, Jaune glanced back at his ailing teammate. He seems to be physically fine, but there he can't tell what is happening. It was as if some sort of switch flicked inside of him, rendering him weak and immobile. Jaune winced as he saw Ren cough blood on his uniform.

Something stopped him.

_Frankly, if they don't send help soon, we'll lose Beacon._

It was an order, wasn't it? But Ren..

The gunblade wielder slumped on his shoulders and Jaune made up his mind.

He doubled the pace, heading towards the infirmary.

_Screw it,_ Jaune thought.

He will not lose his friend.

* * *

Yang awoke to a silent darkness.

_Am I.. dead?_

She breathed in, deep. The air was foul and smells like shit, which can only mean one thing.

_Still alive, huh.._

**Shit.**

She tried to move, but failed. Instead, she felt incredible pain flare throughout her body. Broken bones, torn muscles, shredded skin, bleeding wounds.

She screamed.

Her convulsions exacerbated her pain, reducing her to silent, tearful gasps. She never felt so much pain in her life,

"Y-Yang?" a horrified, familiar voice snuck through her curtain of pain. "Is.. that you?"

Her gasps grew shorter and she calmed down.

"Blake?" she said hoarsely. "What happened?"

"We were.. too late." Blake said, sarcasm apparent in her tone.

"Shit." Yang said simply, closing her eyes as she tried to tune away the pain.

"Shit is right." Blake replied. "Can you see anything?"

"No semblance, no fire." Yang said sadly.

"Same here."

"Can you dig your way out?"

"I can't.. I.." there was a pause. "I'm not going out this one. My legs are..."

"Me too." Yang said bitterly. Her arms were pinned under a fallen pillar. Her legs were twisted at all angles. Her beautiful golden mane was stained black with grit and rubble, partially shorn off by fallen debris. Yang stared at the pitch black ceiling that was pinning her down. She tried to spit on it, but her throat was too parched.

To be buried alive..

It would've haunted her in the past, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to give a shit right now. The fact is, they did their best.

And that's all there is to it.

_At least I've got my girlfriend here._ Yang thought.

Right?

"Hey Blake, are you my girlfriend now?" Yang asked.

"No, you're... my personal slave." Blake breathed. "Yes, Yang, you're my girlfriend."

"Aw. Would your majesty like a massage?" Yang cooed. "Or would you like something more.. special?" She said seductively.

"Just the massage, thank you." Blake retaliated. "Oh, and get me some ice cream while you're at it."

Bitter laughter enlivened the darkness for a moment of time.

Silence.

* * *

"Hey.. Blake?" Yang grunted. The air felt thinner.

"Yeah?" the cat faunus voice sounded weaker.

"What's that damned book you read all the time, again?"

"Is this... really the time to be... asking that?" Blake chuckled, wisps of pain slipping ot her voice every now and then.

"I don't think that we have any other time." Yang said in resignation.

Blake had nothing to say to that.

".. It's the Ninjas of Love."

"The Ninjas of what now?"

"You heard it right.." a pained gasp. "The first time."

"So like, romance and shit?" Yang asked, lips quivering.

"Yeah.. although.." Blake went silent.

"Although what?" Yang asked. "You're killing me, here."

"It's more.. descriptive, than usual."

"Descriptive? Mind giving a little more detail than that, Blakey?" Yang said wryly.

"It's... an in-depth romance novel." Blake said.

"Book porn?" Yang summed it up.

"Book porn." Blake sighed.

"Dust be damned." Yang swore. "Didn't know you were that kinky, Blake."

"Yeah, well, shut up."

"Nunchakus and masks.." Yang chuckled. "You've ruined it all for me."

"Your perverted mind ruined it for you." Blake countered.

"Said the kinky erotica bookworm?" Yang laughed.

Somehow, someway, Yang could feel her partner blush furiously.

"At least I have the decency to keep it to myself!" Blake tried to save face.

"At least I'm not a hypocrite, criticizing people for liking the same stuff I do!"

"I'm just amazed you knew what form of criticizing to say!" Blake said.

"That wasn't even an insult!" Yang mocked the weak reprisal. "

"At least you're-"

Coughing.

"Blake!?" Yang said in alarm.

Hoarse, dreadful coughing that kept going and going and going until Yang screamed, screaming for her partner, her love, her sole anchor to the world, until it slowly, painfully subsided. Until all she could hear was shallow breathing. Until all she could hear was her own silent tears, falling slower and slower until she couldn't cry anymore.

Time marched on, as uncaring as the darkness of their world.

* * *

She heard the faintest whispers.

"Hey.. Yang."

"Yeah?" Yang said softly.

"How.. how's your stupid hair looking?"

"About as good as your stupid face." Yang retaliated.

"Ouch."

* * *

"Hey, Yang."

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad I met you."

"Wow. You must be going soft." Yang shook, biting down on her lips. Tears streaked down her face.

"Tell me about-" Blake started.

Weak coughing.

* * *

Choked retching.

"Blake?"

Yang strained to hear what her partner was trying to say.

She could barely do it. Blake's voice was like minuscule wisps, passing between the cracks of their concrete prison.

"Not.. here. Not.. not now." she heard.

"Yang.."

She couldn't hear anything more.

* * *

"Blake?"

* * *

"Blake? Blake!"

* * *

"Blake? H-Heheh, it's no time for jokes, you know."

* * *

"Blake? Blake! I'm the prankster here! Don't you go trying to take my title now! So.. so please.." Yang broke down. "Don't.. leave me here. Alone.. in the dark.."

Dark.

* * *

"BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!"

* * *

She shook beneath the rubble, heaving with sobs. Her sorrowful tears were accompanied by soundless cries, sharp gasps and mindless groans of misery.

Abandoned.

Desolate.

Forlorn…

She's sick of crying.

* * *

"I wonder what you'd do without me, Ruby?"

* * *

"I'd kill to see your smug smile right now, Weiss."

* * *

Tired. More tired than she had ever been. Numb. Empty..

Empty..

.. _Empty._

* * *

"One last bullet, huh?" Yang said with a hollow voice. She inserted the shell into into Ember Celica, the chamber closing with a satisfying click.

Here...

She thought she'd go down fighting, trying to do some smartass move. Or maybe in a war, if the Hunters are called to battle. Killed by the claws of Ursa, eaten by a Nevermore, stomped on by a Goliath, shot by some lucky thug or maybe even Torchwick and his goons...

_Anything but this._

_Anywhere but here._

No aura to protect her anymore.

No one to save her anymore.

_No one.._

**Blake.**

_Fast and painless…_

"I really can't live without you, after all." Yang whispered. She raised Ember Celica to her head. "Sorry Ruby. Big sis gots to go. She's.. she's waiting for me."

A falling tear.

"See you on the other side, Blake."

A gunshot echoed through the darkness.

Silence.

* * *

_i don't mind dying. i mind you dying.  
_

**Part Three of Five**

* * *

Writing this physically hurt me. Review and ease my pain.


	4. Black Souls - Edit II

**I rearranged the structure of the story. I ended up writing more than I was supposed to so I cobbled chapters one and two together to make space for two more chapter. Finale could be out tomorrow or the day after, depending on reception of the story.**

**Without further ado, I give you Chapter Four - Black Souls.**

* * *

_Beware that the light is fading;_

_Beware if the dark returns._

_This world's unforgiving, even brilliant lights will cease to burn._

* * *

Something was terribly wrong.

She turned fitfully in her sleep; her dreams were rife and full of nightmares.

_See you on the other side, Blake._

"YANG!"

Ruby woke up with a shout, reaching for the ceiling.

Opening her eyes, Ruby saw that she was lying down on a Dustship cabin. She touched her hair and found them damp. She was sweating, soaking the sheets with perspiration. Crescent Rose was resting by her side. She moved to take the weapon and..

. . . the moment she touched the crimson steel, she felt it again.

Her breath hitched - she pushed herself back against the cabin bed in terror. Something . . . someone. . . had died. She didn't understand how she knew it. She just did.

_It's like a piece of her soul was missing._

Ruby held her breath, trying to calm herself. Her shaking lessened and the panic attack faded.

Something is terribly wrong.

She closed her eyes and tried to remember.

_A ghastly image appeared in her mind. It was the dust shop owner, and he was standing still in the middle of the street. She and Weiss watching him from atop a building. Grimm surrounded the old man and his shop in all directions and all varieties. Ruby screamed at him to move, to run away, but he didn't respond. She tried to draw Crescent Rose, but realized that she couldn't move at all._

_The Grimm descended. The last thing she saw was his empty, haunting eyes._

_Those eyes._

"What a dream." Ruby frowned. She took her Gunscythe and strapped it to her back. Stretching left and right, she recognized the cabin she was in. It is Weiss's. The room was purely practical, excepting a single vase on the bunkside (that's the word for it, right?) containing a single white rose.

It was also the room Weiss told Ruby to never enter while she was in the ship. Thinking about that now, isn't that odd? The only thing anybody would find there is the rose vase..

_In any case, this is nice of her._ Ruby thought. For some reason, she wasn't as enthusiastic as she should be. She shook her head, trying to clear away the bad thoughts, and stood up. _I'll thank her with some.. let's see.. cookies?_

"Weiss?" Ruby mumbled, trying to shake off her drowsiness. Ruby opened the cabin door and wandered into the small corridor of the Dustship. It was pretty big for only one person to use. She made a mental note to order Weiss to give her and the team free rides around Vale, though she doubted the heiress would comply.

Ruby pinched cheeks and made silly expressions, loosening her stiff face. She opened the door to the cockpit room and saw Weiss sitting on the pilot's seat. The Dustship was on autopilot, but for some reason Weiss kept her hands on the control stick. She stared at the dark night sky unwaveringly. The soft thrum and hum of the aircraft was the only voice she can hear.

"What time is it? Did Ozpin give us another night mission?" Ruby asked.

"Ruby…" Weiss looked at her. There were dark circles under the heiress's eyes, and her usually lustrous skin was pale and dirty. Her hair was let loose instead of being wrapped up in her trademark ponytail and she was "You don't remember?"

She sounded tired - the kind of exhaustion that permeates the heart, body and soul. Her fingers visibly shook,her movements were slow and her breathing was shallow.

Her partner looked like half the woman she used to be.

_Shell. . . Husk. . ._

**Empty.**

Memories flooded her mind.

The Grimm in the city, number in the thousands. The old man from the dust shop, who vanished like a ghost. Those empty, blank eyes - the last thing she saw before she fainted.

"Th-The old man." Ruby stuttered, crumpling to the floor.

"You were unconscious." Weiss said hollowly. "It was difficult, but I managed to bring you back to the shipyards. We took off a few minutes ago. I've documented what has happened and-" A beeping sound from the cockpit equipment stole her attention. "-hang on. . ." she tinkered with the buttons and dials for a bit more before falling back to her seat, thoroughly spent. "We're going back to Beacon. We need more help if we're going to retake the city. Everyone needs to know what's going on."

"But what **is** going on?" Ruby breathed. "We don't know anything. We're supposed to be the defenders of this world.. and we _KNOW_ _**NOTHING!"**_ Ruby shouted, Crescent Rose suddenly extended. She swung and struck the cabin door in a bout of frustrated rage. It shattered, shards and iron pieces scattering across the interior of the Dustship.

She looked as if she was about to do more, but she restrained herself. Even through her anger she recognized the fact that she was acting irrationally. Crescent Rose retracted to its original form and the red clothed girl, leaned against the wall, feeling weaker than ever. Even after all this time, fighting and practicing to protect the people she loved, she was still too weak. She couldn't protect herself. She couldn't protect her mother. She couldn't protect the people she cared about.

Then what good is she?

"They believed in us.. the people of Vale." Ruby whispered sadly. "And we _FAILED_ them!"

The heiress knew how her partner felt, but she had expended all her energy dragging an unconscious Ruby back to the shipyard. Without her aura and semblance, she had to resort to physically carrying the girl. It was wearisome, and considering she haven't even had a proper breakfast this morning she's running on fumes.

Ruby slumped by the wrecked pieces of the cockpit door.

The soft humming of the Dustship's engines returned the malignant quiet.

".. 'm sorry 'bout the door." the scythe wielder mumbled.

"It's.." Weiss started, but didn't continue. _Ok? Nothing? No Problem?_

She didn't say anything - or rather, she didn't know what to say. She doubted empty words of consolation would be of any help. She was horrified at the situation as well, but she'd been fairly acquainted with death and darkness for most of her life. The White Fang made sure of that. But Ruby.. it must've been so horrifying her mind would suppress her memories than to accept reality.

Ruby walked slowly to the copilot's seat and sat still, buckling herself in.

Weiss placed a hand on her partner's arm. Ruby leaned and rested her head on the smaller girl's shoulder, seeking comfort in the white haired girl's familiarity.

They remained like that for the rest of their journey home.

* * *

"Hey Crimson, where do you want me to set her down?" Chen asked, straining to turn his head to see the leader of the Beacon Four. No one could tell any of the sixteen fighters apart in their uniforms, but Crimson Scarlet, the S and ace of team STRK, emanates a deadly elegance anyone could sense the moment he enters their presence. It still unnerved him

"Go for terminal nineteen in the Eastern Shipyard." Crimson said, hunching over him.

"Roger that. Estimated arrival time, eighteen minutes." Chen said, adjusting knobs and dials controlling the Dustship's speed and altitude. He silently mouthed several calculations, entered a few commands to the computer system and switched back to autopilot.

"Done." Chen said, brightening up. "Sit back, kick back and enjoy Chen Air."

"Hey." an exasperated voice interjected. "How about me?"

Mauve, his co-pilot, gave him a glare from the seat to his right. Chen sighed and tilted his head, as if he was thinking hard. After a moment of pondering Chen snapped his fingers and said, "Mauven air?"

"That was horrible. Please do not attempt any further word plays." Mauve said.

"Seconded." Crimson said from behind in good humor.

"You're both no fun." Chen complained.

"We're not paid to have fun." Mauve said.

"We're not paid at all." Chen pointed out. "In fact, we're paying for this."

"Ignore him." Mauve told Crimson.

"I already am." the ominous leader of the Beacon Four said.

"Hey!" Chen said.

"Making weather route calculations.." Mauve mumbled. She glanced back at Crimson. "Are you sure you don't want to buckle up? You wanted speed, so we're going to run through some turbulence."

"There's no need for that." Crimson said. "We're not exactly your average commercial passengers."

"Suit yourself." Mauve returned to adjusting the cockpit equipment.

"That I will." Crimson said, opening the cockpit door.

Outside the room, he wondered whether or not his decision to keep the boy Jaune in the dark, and whether or not the boy is smart enough to realize that Crimson had lied to him. His friend Ren certainly did, but if the dual wielder had any say against it he didn't let it show. It was obvious from the first year's tone and a raised eyebrow that he didn't buy the western perimeter defense one bit. Beacon Academy stood on an easily defensible hill. There's still enough power to keep the automated defenses online for another twenty four hours and its inhabitants are more than capable of taking care of themselves, so the Beacon Four must have been out for something else entirely.

Crimson had read the boy's dossier - he would make a good candidate to replace him in leading his year's Beacon Four. He'll make sure to give his recommendation for Headmaster Ozpin.

If he was even alive, that is.

The Dustship flew through the pitch black clouds in baleful silence.

* * *

_**Where is everybody?!**_

Jaune growled in frustration and burst through the infirmary doors, blatantly ignoring the rules for the sake of his ailing friend. Ren's situation was growing worse by the second. He was barely breathing, and heart was beating erratically.

The first thing he did after getting over the initial shock of seeing his teammate keel over was to contact the other half of team JNPR. Pyrrha picked up the Scroll. He tried to play it off as an unexpected sickness, trying to keep them calm, but Nora audibly wrenched Pyrrha's scroll and asked him in the darkest tone imaginable.

"Where is he?" the hammer wielder asked.

"We're headed for the infirmary." the blonde swordsman said. "Nora, please calm do-"

The call ended abruptly and Jaune sighed.

Nora is a normally easygoing girl. Although somewhat eccentric, she is one of the most powerful warriors in their year, rivaling Blake and Pyrrha in combat practice. Her inexplicable love for pancakes and princess lore served only to increase her charms. But all that disappears the moment she heard something happened to Ren. Jaune had seen it several times over the course of their year together - during each and every event she would drop everything and run for her partner's aid. The eccentric, oddly charming girl would disappear in place of a serious, dangerous teammate.

_And now.._

Ren coughed some more, then fell back on the infirmary bed, looking more dead than alive.

"Hang in there, buddy!" Jaune said. He hooked Ren up to a bioanalyzer, the only medical apparatus he knew how to use, but that's about it. He cursed himself over and over again for being so ignorant about medicines and medical equipment. It wasn't on the curriculum and he'd always thought that their auras were sufficient to take care of their bodies. Assuming things would go well always ends poorly. He should've known. He was their leader. He was responsible for their safety, and he failed his friend in not knowing what to do in this situation. He'd never make that mistake again.

Sitting by the corner of the bed, Jaune tried to keep his calm while his friend fought for his life.

* * *

The sky was something else, Mauve decided. She couldn't see the sun, or the two mysterious moons that orbited their world. The stars were gone as well. It was void black wherever she looked - pure darkness from horizon to horizon.

Another fact that unsettled her was that there was no turbulence. According to the Dustship's sensors they should be going through a storm's worth of trouble right now. But instead of turbulence, they were met with tranquil silence. The clouds were unmoving; static and rooted to the spot. When the Dustship passed a cloud formation, it did so without a single jolt. It was as if those clouds were immaterial.

Mauve had seen a lot of shit go down in her three and a half years of being a Huntress, but this disappearance thing had topped everything off. Yeah, yeah, she's officially still in training, but Ozpin had seen to it that all of Beacon's Hunters had had at least fifty missions under their belts before the Council sends them off to every corner of Remnant to battle the Grimm. She tallied at sixty four, a feat to be proud of, but Chen had surpassed most students in Beacon with his record of eighty nine missions. Despite his easy going attitude, he is an absolute terror on the battlefield and she would rather no one else by her side. Actually, amend that. Perhaps it is because he'd seen so many battles and deaths that he adopted an easy going attitude.

Hmm. She'd have to ask him late-

_Shwung._

Mauve grunted as she fell forward. She would've crashed in headfirst to her control panel if she wasn't belted in tight. She pressed the emergency ballasts and the Dustship corrected itself sharply. It was only a temporary measure, however - the pilot would have to balance the ship itself.

It was then that she noticed that their Dustship had been slowly going to a nosedive. She glanced to the pilot seat and saw Chen's hand slacking. His head was drooping.

_Great, he's nodding off._

"Chen, adjust angle of descent to acceptable levels." Mauve said. It's just like Chen to doze off in the middle of what is probably the most important mission of their lives.

"Hey Chen, we're stalling, dimwit." Mauve said, discarding any pretense of pilot-copilot formality.

No response. Mauve frowned. Chen is an absolute pain the ass when it comes to getting serious, but even he should know the gravity of the situation well enough not to make childish pranks. Chen merely looked forward, his helmet not moving a single inch to her direction.

But then again this _is_ Chen she's talking about. The idiot who unlocked all of Professor Port's pets in their second year. Mauve unbuckled her belt and placed her hands around her hips, trying to look intimidating. If that doesn't work, the threat of her fire flail should.

"CHEN!"

Still no response.

_So that's how it is, huh?_

"This isn't the time to be fooling around." she raised her fist to mock-punch Chen.

Her hand passed through his limp head and struck the leather of his seat instead.

Mauve gasped and jolted back. The pilot seat swivelled from the blow, fully showing the apparition of what used to be her partner. The stall worsened and Mauve felt her seat belt snap.

"Oh shi-" Mauve swore, bracing herself against-

**Dark.**

She went limp. Her body fell out of her chair crashed to the cockpit windows with enough force to crack the bulletproof glass. Blood spurted from her gaping mouth and she shivered.

_What.. is.._

The stall was in full swing. The crack on the cockpit glass grew as the pressure of the fall increased, slowly creating a beautiful web that promised death. Safety bolts began popping off like killer fireworks. The body of the plane were slowly being torn apart by their rapid descent.

_Chen.. _she mouthed, hammered to a wall of the cabin by the pressure. She reached for her silent partner, but their fingers never touched, and never will.

The loud pop of a set of bolts marked the end of her forays in this world.

She saw a flash of steel before her eyes. Red pain flared through her mind and she died, entering the cold embrace of oblivion.

* * *

Pyrrha is worried about Nora.

She would have been happy with the loudmouthed, impulsive girl she usually was. She'd take a pancake to the face to see that girl again. Even a broody, pouting Nora isn't that bad.

But the girl running beside her right now is nothing like the Nora she knew. Even her unusual aloofness in the cafeteria paled compared to what she was now. There was this dreadful look on her, as if the only thing anchoring her to calmness and sanity was a thin thread that threatens to snap any moment.

Nora must have seen him injured before. Earlier this year during Initiation and several points through their time together each and every member of their team has been wounded in one way or another, herself included. She'd usually try to throw a recovery party or get the injured teammate to a pancake parlor to help them improve, although she was usually the one who ended up feeling better.

Perhaps it was Jaune's tone, the unspoken distress he left unsaid. Sometimes there are more to be learned from what was not said than what was. Ren was badly injured

Was their bond that strong?

And what could hurt Ren in the first place?

Her train of thought was stopped by low murmuring.

"Too slow.." Pyrrha heard Nora say in the midst of their run. "Too slow.. must be.. get there."

"Nora?" Pyrrha asked.

Magnhild whirred to life and she blasted off into the distance, propelled by the power of her Grenade Hammer. She continued to blast away, ripping apart chunks of the school grounds in her desperate sprint to her friend's aid. She didn't pause for a moment, opting to leave her teammate behind in favor of getting to her childhood friend.

"Dammit." Pyrrha said, before picking up her speed again. If she still had her semblance, she could simply use Akouo to glide over the buildings in her way. Beacon is awfully large, something she would normally be proud of, but in this situation it was a liability. Instead, she was forced to take the long way around. Without their aura, they were truly pitiful. If they ever get out of this, Pyrrha swore she'd make sure that she would be able to do her job without it.

Something else struck her as odd.

_Why was Nora trying to get there so fast?_ Pyrrha thought in frustration._ This is ridiculous! It's not as if Ren was going anywhere anytime soon._

_Unless.._

It seemed like forever had passed when she finally arrived in the infirmary.

She burst inside the patient rooms breathlessly. Team JNPR were the only students present. The others had settled on taking refuge in the main auditorium, where the student council resided. Nora was standing beside an occupied bed, and Jaune was sitting down on the floor. The blonde warrior glanced at her, but looked away.

"What happ-" Pyrrha asked, following his gaze. And stopped.

_No. . ._

"It can't be." Pyrrha breathed. _How? Why? _

Her pondering went unanswered by the cruel reality before her. Ren was lying still on the bed, the biomonitor showing a single straight line. Nora stood like a statue, hovering beside the bed silently. Jaune lowered his head.

"It's too late." he said mournfully. "He's gone."

* * *

"What's that?" Ruby asked, pointing to the emptiness before them.

"It's the Helios." Weiss said, reading over the identification information on her radar. She broke into a smile. "The Beacon Four! They're heading for the city with heavy armor. They're going to exterminate the Grimm!" Weiss brightened.

Ruby sighed with relief. "We're saved.."

Weiss changed the direction of their dustship and aligned it with the Helios's speed and vector.

"Helios! Helios!" Weiss talked into her mic. "This is the Hermes. We have the most recent information on what is happening in Vale and can provide armed assistance if necessary. Do you have any news about Beacon? Over."

No response.

"Helios, if you're going in secretly and am unable to respond, can you at least press the acknowledgement button? Over." Weiss said. "Hmm.. maybe they want to talk in Morse? Let's see."

While the heiress pored over what she'd learned about the Morse code Ruby grabbed the mic and yelled.

"THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR RULES, GUYS!" she shouted. "WE'RE ON THE SAME SIDE, SO WHY ARE YOU ALL BEING SO DIFFICULT?!"

The silence that followed exacerbated Ruby's fury.

"It may be that they're not allowed to respond to any hailing from other ships." Weiss tried to reason.

"Seriously? Are they that strict?" Ruby said angrily.

"I'm not so sure about that." Weiss said, staring at the Dustship with suspicion and worry.

"What do you think they're doing?" Ruby frowned.

"It's.. stalling." Weiss breathed.

"CHEEEEEEEN! MAUUUVEEEEE!" Crimson shouted, bursting through the cockpit door. "WHAT THE HELL IS-"

The frame of the dustship gave way. Hydraulic lines tore and snap, supersteel alloy broke and were wrenched apart by the force of the wind and the glass shattered, raining murderous shards on the leader of the Beacon 4. Without his aura, the red eyed prodigy was helpless in the barrage of steel bolts and aerial glass. They punched through his Sentinel armor like paper at the speed of sound and he fell back, killed instantly.

Beacon's strongest floated with one empty eye socket and a glassy eye in the other, staring at the clouds with empty indifference.

The deadly debris continued on their journey to the fuel tanks on the sides of the plane. A simple spark was the beginning of its end. It erupted into a raging inferno that consumed the dustship in a malevolent fireball

The frame broke completely and its remains were scattered in all directions. The Helios broke through the cloud layer in a hail of bodies and burning steel, like a twisted form of a shooting star.

* * *

_To wish upon a star.._

_Legends scatter._

_Day and night will sever._

_Hope and peace are lost forever._

* * *

The sinister bleep that marked the death of their friend was thankfully silenced when a certain warhammer obliterated the equipment entirely.

"Leave us." Nora said, a gaunt expression set in stone.

"Nora..." Jaune said. "We can't leave you here."

He stepped towards her but hesitated, feeling the murderous madness pent up within her.

"I said leave." Nora hissed, placing a hand on Magnhild menacingly.

"Jaune.." Pyrrha said tearfully. She grabbed his arm pleadingly. "We have to go."

Jaune looked as if he was about to do exactly that, but his eyes steeled and he stood his ground.

_I'll be damned if I lose you, too._

"NORA!" Jaune shouted, standing up to his full height. He never had to use this card but this time she forced his hand. "I AM YOUR TEAM LEADER AND I AM ORDERING YOU TO-"

"TEAM?!" She laughed - a twisted, forlorn laughter. Her breath hitched, eyes flashing with anger and sorrow. "What team?"

"Nora.." Pyrrha said, deciding to try and help. "We're still here. No matter how bad things are, please remember that-"

"..-on't understand." Nora whispered.

"What?" Jaune frowned.

She snapped.

The sound of Magnhild discharging a grenade was all the warning they had before part of the wall caved in. Nora stood up slowly and looked them in the eye. Her seething gaze was incomprehensible, irrational, inconsolable.

"-NOTHING!" she screamed.

Magnhild smashed through an adjacent bed. It broke instantly, the sound of snapping wood rending their reality.

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND _ANYTHING!"_ Nora exploded.

"NORA, YOU'RE OUT OF CONTROL!" Jaune shouted to no avail. The hammer wielder was beyond them now - her grief had formed into reality and they had no way of stopping it.

"GET OUT! GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!" Nora shrieked, swinging Magnhild to and fro. The walls of the infirmary crumbled, furniture snapped and the lights flickered. The windows were crushed by her acts of ruination and glass scattered everywhere like transparent bullets.

Jaune looked at the rampaging girl in shock and disbelief. Pyrrha tackled him out of the way of a toppling cabinet. Nora cried out again and again, using up every single round Magnhild had, wrecking the structure, blasting apart the supports, destroying its foundations.

"Don't you understand?" Nora smiled bitterly. "When you lost Ren, you've lost me, too."

She sagged down, holding on to Magnhild to support herself. It was then that Jaune gasped in horror at the sight of a dozen shards of glass embedded to her back. Nora wheezed, coughing blood as she tried to hold on to reality.

"Go." she said.

Jaune held back a choked sob as Pyrrha dragged him away, crying openly as the corridor collapsed, blocking their view of the orange haired girl.

"Goodbye.." Nora whispered.

She crawled on the bed beside Ren, gathering him in her arms. He looked as handsome and cool as ever - only his ominous stillness gave away the fact that he. . .

_That he . . ._

Black spheres appeared all around here, swallowing up everything within its reach. Rocks and bricks fell prey to the ever hungry void, dooming the building to fall apart. She looked at the spheres impassively. They.. fascinated her, somewhat. Perhaps it was because she recognized them as reflections of her heart. They continued to consume everything in their path, and

The lights went out.

"Hey Ren." she said, caressing her partner's face softly. Amongst the rubble and rain, between the darkness and the pain - it all didn't matter. With him in her arms, she felt content. The ceiling began to crumble.

They were there, those words. Three simple words on the tip of her tongue, threatening to spill over.

"I.."

But she didn't say it. She couldn't. She wouldn't. It made no difference. In the end, she didn't. Instead, she recalled a familiar memory and said, "Remember the time when.."

_Even now, on death's door.._

The ceiling fell.

She really can't say it, can she?

* * *

promises not kept

**Part Four of Five**


	5. Black Memories - FINAL

**Chapter Five - Black Memories**

* * *

Heavily recommended - for fully immersive experience, listen to Animenz's Madoka Magica compilation, followed by theishter's Parasyte OP - Let me hear, followed by theishter's Spice and Wolf OP, and lastly Animenz's Owari no Sekai Nara. Just do it. Trust me.

* * *

"_A thousand times we die in one life. We crumble, break and tear apart until the layers of illusions are burned away, and all that is left, is the truth of who and what we really are."_

* * *

"PYRRHA!" Jaune shouted, his voice barely audible in the rushing wind.

"JAUNE!" Pyrrha cried out, hands outstretched. Their hands barely connected, but it was enough for the blonde leader of the desperate remnants of team JNPR to pull his partner back to the safety of the stairs. They collapsed on the ground together, breathing heavily.

"That. . . was close." Pyrrha said, exhausted.

"It's getting worse, isn't it?" Jaune said, looking out the gaping hole in the wall. Dark lightning whipped past the opening silently. It struck the clouds and for a moment their entire world went black. What passes as light in their twilight world returned a few seconds after, and Pyrrha released a breath she didn't know she held.

"We have to move faster." she insisted.

"We can't." Jaune said in frustration. "We tried, and look what happened." he gestured to her body. She was worn and battered, the lack of aura allowing countless bruises and cuts to accumulate. She looked away. He was in no better a condition than she. "Better slow and safe than not getting there at all." he finished.

"I suppose.. you're right." Pyrrha conceded.

"Let's go." Jaune said. "We have to do this."

"For them." Pyrrha breathed. The image of Nora's painful farewell burned itself in Jaune's memory. The countless lives lost to the madness of this world. . . he nodded and took her hand in his.

"For all of us." Jaune amended.

Facing the perilous rise, they trudged up once more.

* * *

"They're not responding." Ruby gave up, discarding her scroll to the floor next to her.

"It must be the weather." Weiss tried to reason.

"Maybe." Ruby said, glancing at the city of Vale. No; it wasn't Vale; it was an apparition of it, a shadow of what it once was. The Vale she knew were filled with bright, caring people; succulent food, restaurants and shops; it was the place where she and her team could unwind after a stressful week.

It was home.

Yet past the curtain of clouds, she was leaving behind a city of the dead.

"I wish you would've waited for Yang and Blake." Ruby muttered.

Weiss sighed. "We've had this conversation before. I wasn't about to risk waiting for two perfectly capable Huntresses when my partner is unconscious in a city block full of Grimm. Yang and Blake are still powerful even without their auras, unlike us. Besides, we have important information the council must know."

"I can't help but think.." Ruby trailed off. "Something's wrong, Weiss. I can feel it."

"Aren't you captain apparent." Weiss scoffed.

"It's captain OBVIOUS. . . dolt." Ruby corrected with a faint smirk.

Silence.

"They're going to be fine, Ruby."

They're all going to be fine.

They must be.

_They HAVE to be._

"Do you want to leave them another mes-Ngh!" Weiss grunted, grabbing tight on the steering panel.

For the first time in their flight, Weiss encountered turbulence. It was a shocking change from the tranquil silence of the skies they had flown through before. She had to take over manual control over the Hermes to prevent it from stalling. The rocking of the dustship only increased as they approached Beacon academy.

An even greater storm was brewing far above them, but not a single drop of water fell. The heavens are a mass of swirling darkness, and what seemed to be black lightning flashed overhead. But instead of flashes of light, it emanated darkness; every time the lightning struck their entire world was blackened for a moment, giving the Huntresses a glimpse into an endless abyss.

"I'm closing down the hurricane shutters." Weiss announced, pressing a button on the controls. A sheet of supersteel descended over the more fragile glass of the viewing windows, protecting it from the buffeting winds. The macabre sight was gone, and even though she could still feel the tremors the storm was causing, Ruby felt a little better.

They didn't speak a word of what had transpired. Not the city, nor the Grimm; the old men or their missing teammates.

In times of sorrow, silence is the loudest language.

* * *

_Silence is the most power scream.  
_

* * *

The moment they arrived, they knew something was off.

Ruby jumped out the Dustship the moment the door opened, Crescent Rose at the ready. Weiss followed soon after. They jogged through the empty courtyard, past the spot where they first met. Ruby nudged Weiss and mouthed the word _boom. _Weiss smiled, appreciating the sentiment but reality sets in soon after, and they were left in forbidding silence.

Most of Beacon is covered with training grounds, firing ranges, simple parks and aesthetics. The student body of less than a thousand Hunters-in-training are taught in the few dozen buildings scattered throughout the campus. A single overarching building, a massive architectural masterpiece the inhabitants of Beacon simply call "the Spire", houses the central auditorium and the Headmaster's office. Directly after the initial panic, the student council, composed of Beacon's best and brightest, announced through the loudspeakers that all Hunters are to gather in the auditorium until further notice. It was this move that saved the academy from an all-out panic, but it was merely a stopgap measure.

Sooner than later, people will start demanding explanations. Weiss was sure that Beacon's troublemakers will start a riot simply for the sake of having something to do, and she doubled her pace.

When they arrived, it wasn't to a raunchy pandemonium, to rebellious students wanting to leave.

It was to silence.

"What happened here?" Ruby said. "Where is everyone?"

Weiss was of the same opinion. She walked around the perimeter of the building and notice the lockdown barricades within. The windows were shut, and super steel barricades could be seen right behind it. They are only used in extreme emergencies, but there are no Grimm in Beacon. Why would the council give the order to lock themselves in?

The doors were no better. They were locked and shut tight. Weiss slashed experimentally at the door, but Myrtenaster was immediately stopped by another super steel barrier directly behind the door.

"Weiss-" Ruby started.

"Shh."

Weiss closed her eyes and pressed her ear against the barrier, feeling the cold metal touch her skin. She couldn't hear anything. Are the barriers that thick?

"I can't hear any sound coming from the inside." Weiss concluded. "We can't get in."

"Where else do we go?" Ruby asked timidly. "Where is everyone?"

_You're the leader.. _Weiss thought, slightly miffed by the situation.

"There should be an opening somewhere in the Spire." Weiss said. "Ventilation or something."

"Sounds like a spy mission to me." Ruby grinned.

Weiss couldn't hold in a chuckle at her leader's ever present optimism.

Ruby lead the way eagerly, Crimson Rose warily extended. Even if there aren't any Grimm in sight, something must have forced the council to enact the shutdown procedure. Weiss kept an eye out for any oddities. She spun Myrtenaster around, trying to get her mind off the fact that without her aura, the only helpful thing she could do is minor dust manipulation. Without her platforms and aural amplifications, she was less than half the Huntress she used to be,

They circled around the Spire, and Weiss grew to appreciate its size and beauty. It must be several football fields long, and Dust knows how high. The very tip reaches past the clouds even on the brightest day. Today was far from bright. More than half of the Spire was hidden in the ominous mist.

Ruby was certain her friends were safe. There's simply no way they weren't. They're inside the Spire, and she couldn't wait to be reunited with them.

"Hey Weiss!"

"Yes?" the heiress shifted her attention from watching their rear to her leader before her. Ruby was pointing at something excitedly.

"Come here!"

Weiss sauntered over to see what brought her leader so much excitement. It was an actual ventilation shaft, albeit so small

"We can't go in there."

"Maybe not, but we can SHOUT in there!" Ruby declared.

"That's. . . actually not a bad idea." Weiss said.

"Of course it's not." Ruby harumphed.

"Stuff cookies in cereal and milk. You got sick almost to the point of puking. Throw paper planes with ugly caricatures of Professor Port at Professor Port. You should thank your luck he laughed it off. Raiding the pantry in the middle of the night with Yang-" Weiss listed.

"Okay, okay, I got it." Ruby grumbled. She moved ahead of the heiress and hunched over the vents. She could feel a soft breeze of air within.

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUYS!" she shouted. Weiss covered her ears and rolled her eyes.

"HEEEEEEEY GUYYYYYYSSSSS… heeeeeeeeeeeeeeey guuuuuuysssss.." her voice echoed inside the vents.

"Now all we have to do is wait." Ruby said smugly.

The storm grew worse, its silent rampage dampening their spirits by the second. Weiss took the time to circle around the Spire once more, checking if any Grimm had made it to the school grounds. None had. She came back. Ruby was still sitting on the same spot, equally discouraged and sad.

Nothing had happened.

"It didn't work." Weiss said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah." Ruby said.

"Let's try something else." Weiss said, deep in thought. She set Myrtenaster on ice mode and took Ruby's hand. The red clothed huntress looked up in surprise as her partner pulled her towards the elemental rapier.

"If I'm not wrong, Headmaster Ozpin's office has a balcony." Weiss explained. "If we can get up there, maybe we can go in that way."

"Good thinking." Ruby said.

Weiss stabbed Myrtenaster on the ground and unleashed the ice crystals within. She created a platform of solid ice and moved herself and Ruby on it. Ruby looked on in wonder as Weiss summoned the power of nature's wrath, raising the platform on a pillar of ice.

Without her aura amplifying the spread, speed and strength of her rapier, she only has one chance at this. She controlled the growing pillar of ice and directed it to the the higher levels of the Spire. Ruby wobbled and nearly fell but Weiss caught her with her arm and pulled her close.

"T-Thanks." Ruby said.

"Sure." Weiss said. When she realized how close she was bringing them both she let go of Ruby, blushing furiously. She returned to the task at hand, eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration. She glanced to check at her ice gauge and gasped.

"Ruby, jump!" Weiss shouted. The dust canister ran out a split second later and the platform stopped growing. Weiss leapt and managed to hold on the balcony's edge, but Ruby was left behind.

"WEISS! That warning was a little too late!"

The platform grew unstable. Without her aura, Weiss can't maintain its form for long.

The pillar cracked and crumbled.

"RUBY!" Weiss shouted but the Huntress was already in mid air, propelling herself forward with Crescent Rose as she did in killing the Nevermore during their initiation. She crash-landed on the balcony, tumbling and struck with the glass windows with such force that they cracked.

Weiss pulled herself up the railings and ran to Ruby's aid.

She was groaning from the pain, hands clutching her bruised side. Her hair was matted with blood. Weiss ran her fingers through her partner's head and thanked the heavens that it was only a shallow gash.

"Weiss. . ." Ruby mumbled.

"Don't move, I'll bandage you in a moment." Weiss said, retrieving a small aid kit from her combat belt. She dripped some disinfectant on the wound and Ruby shrieked, tightening her grip on the smaller girl hard enough to leave bruises. She finished off the treatment by wrapping some bandages around her partner's forehead.

"Second time today, you dunce." Weiss muttered angrily.

"Sorry." Ruby smiled through the pain.

"Just rest here for awhile." Weiss said. "I'll get help."

"Mmh." Ruby mumbled.

* * *

Weiss stepped inside, taking in the sight of the room. Soft lighting coming from a couple of bulbs in the ceiling illuminated the office. Dozens of awards, certificates and pictures decorated the walls. Trophies and what seems to be old artifacts lined the three shelves carved into the walls. The carpet was soft but perfunctory, just like the desk. It was sturdy oak - not overly expensive, but reliable as well.

She thought about going over his things, but shot the idea down immediately. The priority here is her wounded partner. Walking fast, Weiss made her way down the stairs, trying to keep her mind off what she might find below.

Wounds suck.

Being a combat school student, Ruby was familiar with injuries and the pain it entails, but it still sucked regardless. Without her aura, it would take her too long to heal. She tried to lift her left arm but failed. She was dizzy from stress, hunger and the crash landing. Combat-capability wise, she is just as weak as Weiss. Not that either of them are weak, but their fighting style relied heavily on aural recovery and semblance, unlike the other half of their team.

Yang.. . Blakey. Ruby wondered. We'll meet again after this is all over, right? Grab some cookies, bake a cake, shop together.

Her daydream was abruptly ended by a flash of black lightning.

She groaned and stood up shakily. It's impossible to rest on the balcony, right under the broiling skies. Ruby supported herself using the windows and followed it to the door leading inside the office. She saw the room control panel nearby and tinkered with it. The blinds closed, hiding the storm from view, and soft white light illuminated the room.

Ruby plopped herself on the headmaster's chair and sighed with contentment.

Something struck her as odd. There were papers scattered all over the Headmaster's desk. Even though Ruby have only met the eccentric professor a few times, she knew that Ozpin is a tidy and organized man. The mess on his table seems extremely uncharacteristic of him. She shuffled through the paper and skimmed through them.

"_.. ctor Gottwald recorded unusual symptoms exhibited before the Disintegration, mainly memory loss, unblinking stares and statue-like stillness..."_

"_The first case of the Fade is recorded in the second day of the second month. Statistics on its frequency points to an exponential growth. . . ."_

"_Confirmed subjects' ethereality, requires further case studies from Vacuo. . ."_

"_The Endless Night event visually confirmed at the poles. . ."_

"_Keeping the phenomenon classified is becoming increasingly difficult, the creation of Silencer task forces has been necessary to reduce possible leaks. . ."_

"_Experimental Cures #9 through #13 ineffective, recommend asking for expert assistance from Vale University. . ."_

_He knew! _Ruby realized. _Ozpin knew exactly what was happening, but why didn't he tell us? Why keep it a secret?_

She had to know more. She brushed away the stack of papers and turned on the computer on his desk. A holographic keyboard materialized in mid air, made solid by particle projection technology. Ruby stared at it in wonder. She's heard of it like everyone else, but such a decorative machine is far too expensive for commercial use and are owned only by the rich and influential.

_Cool._

"Please enter the security code." the computer bleeped.

"Umm.." Ruby brainstormed for any ideas as to what kind of password Ozpin might have, but before she could come up with one the computer bleeped and showed the home screen.

"Unauthorized logon accepted under situation code red-one. Proceed to message list."

_What?_

A window appeared on the screen. It was a series of video messages. Ruby moved the mouse over the play icon and breathed in deep. It was there, a mere click away. The truth.

_Here goes._

She pressed the button.

* * *

Weiss went down ten flights of stairs in less than a minute, determined to get Ruby some medical attention as fast as possible. She ignored the darkness of the hallways, the desolate rooms, the lifeless light bulbs. She ignored the sheets of emergency plating covering the windows, the soft red lights illuminating the stairwells, the miasmic atmosphere of it all.

She ignored it all because in the depths of her heart, Weiss wanted to believe. She wanted to believe that everything will be alright, that all the death she had seen was not in vain, that there is such a thing called a second chance.

She stopped a step away from the auditorium's back entrance.

They're there. Her friends. All of them, right beyond this door. They'll meet again, they'll help Ruby, and they'll laugh it all off once this shitstorm dies down.

She ignored the deafening silence.

She ignored the deathly air.

Her fingers wrapped themselves around the handles.

She opened the double doors.

And her hope shattered.

* * *

The video started in Ozpin's office, featuring none other than the esteemed headmaster. He was sitting on his chair like Ruby, albeit with a troubled expression

"I have left this message as a precaution in case the phenomenon will reach me, somehow." he started. "If you are watching this video, then I am either dead, stranded or affected by the Fade."

He paused for a while, seemingly recollecting his thoughts. He leaned forward once he was finished and started once more.

"We call it the Fade. A physical phenomenon that defies all laws of nature. Symptoms include a partial or complete loss of a person's aura, unexplainable delusions and psychological and behavioural anomalies. The first documented case occurred in the second day of the second lunar cycle. Frequency has only increased since then and the Council of Elders raised it to priority red when people in the chain of command started to disappear as well."

"We don't know why, but we know what happens. A scientific task force of the greatest medical minds Remnant has to offer was created to find a cure, but so far it has turned up nothing. No aural, medical nor physiological solutions have worked."

He paused for a while to sip from his mug, which seemed inseparable from the man every time Ruby saw him.

"Why am I talking now, to an emergency file, in the middle of the night when it doesn't really matter anymore?" he talked to himself. Ruby grew worried. She always believed that Ozpin was a man with a plan, untouchable, unperturbed by whatever enemies the world of Remnant has to offer. To see him so plagued with worry struck her to the very core.

"Because. . ." Ozpin trailed off. "I fear this is one enemy we cannot defeat."

He reached for the keyboard and the message ended.

Ruby released a breath she didn't know she held and leaned back against the seat, dangerously close to despairing. If the most powerful, cunning Hunter in Remnant found himself lost, what could she, a mere fifteen year old rookie, do? . . .

. . . Something. She must do something. Anything. Ruby strengthened her resolve and, refusing to give up, decided to go over the files once again.

A massive void sphere occupied the center of the auditorium. Snacks, weapons parts and empty soda cans lie scattered all across the floor, dreadful testaments of the fact that all her friends were here. And now. . . she looked up at the all-consuming sphere. It seemed to leer down at the heiress, a monument to her hopelessness.

Weiss suddenly felt weak and fell on her knees, one hand resting against the wall to balance her shell shocked body.

It's just her and Ruby now.

Everyone else are gone.

They're on their own.

* * *

"LET GO OF ME!" Pyrrha shrieked, her cry of despair barely audible over the raging storm.

"I WON'T!" Jaune replied stubbornly, latching on to her arm in a death grip. Their bodies were slammed around like ragdolls. Jaune gritted his teeth as he doubled his efforts to pull them back up, but it was impossible. The winds were too strong and his body too tired. There was nothing he could do but hold on.

"YOU ARE COMPROMISING THIS MISSION!" Pyrrha shouted. She tried to shake herself off in vain. "LET ME GO!"

"I won't." Jaune hissed with shocking ferocity. He looked down at her and she found herself silence by a pair of indomitable blue eyes. He

"Why?!" Pyrrha said. "You're better than this! You know what's at stake!"

"I don't care anymore."

"What!?"

"I understand now." Jaune laughed. "Why Nora did what she did."

"I. . . I don't understand." Pyrrha said, lost in confusion.

"It's the simplest thing in the world, Pyrrha."

_Is. . . it?_

"I love you."

Time stood still.

"I'm sorry it took me so long." Jaune smiled. "I'm sorry for being so dense."

Y_ou have to let me go,_ she thought, but she didn't say it. She didn't want to. She was tired of playing the heroine.

For once, she wanted to have her own story.

_Damn it all to hell._

"You should be." she said.

Their lips touched.

They let go.

A searing kiss.

A flash of thunder.

Lost in their bliss.

Lost in the merciless fire.

* * *

Ruby skimmed through the content of Ozpin's journal in the following days. He conferred with general Ironwood regarding possible methods to reduce panic when the information would eventually be known by all. At the rate of the disappearance, the people would realize sooner or later. There were evacuation centers, screening teams and Hunter-Killer deployment strategies to be discussed. Atlas increased battle android production by three hundred and twenty percent. Grimm migration patterns changed randomly, resulting in unpredictable raids on unassuming towns and villages. Hundreds, no, thousands, dead. She played more recordings, each one depicting the worsening issue of the Fade until. . .

Three days before she woke up to the dark world, all Fade-related phenomenons seemed to have ceased entirely. Researchers and leaders tried to find out what happened to no avail, and was ready to let it go as a one-time supernatural tragedy when the morning of Vale's Nightfall.

One last recording remained.

It began with a lone headmaster in a Dustship cockpit. He looked both furious and sad. When he spoke, his voice was controlled but strained.

"Atlas is gone. Everything. The land as well. The city was empty and the Grimm was everywhere." he spoke. "There was no warning, no signs. The entire power grid went down suddenly. Individual android battery packs lasts about less than two hours, and once the automatons were gone, we didn't stand a chance."

A gloomy pause.

"Miss Goodwitch had volunteered stayed behind to fight off the Grimm in the shipyards to ensure and expedite my arrival home, but it seems that it was not meant to be."

The camera panned out to the rear of the craft, and Weiss recognized the hurricane of black lightning all around the aircraft, wrapping around it like a monstrous snake. The engines were booming at full thrust, but it was obvious that the storm is catching up.

"I estimate less than ten minutes before the Night overtakes my aircraft. Part of the starboard engine was damaged in our escape, and I have run through all possible scenarios. Recovery is not possible. The only useful route I can go through is to provide my fellow professors and students the information I have attained in the past two weeks in the hopes that you can somehow stop this."

"Whoever you are, I will have to trust with Beacon's greatest secret."

"If you are a student in Beacon, you must have wondered why the academy is so great in size even though the people that inhabit it are few in number. The truth may be easy to guess. Beacon, and other combat academies throughout Remnants, can also act as emergency evacuation centers. With dozens of buildings reaching deep underground, massive dorm buildings that can house tens of thousands and almost a hundred warehouses stocked to the brim with food and munitions, Beacon is a veritable fortress against the tide of Grimm. But there is more."

"The Spire above you is not a mere decoration. Eight years ago, General Ironwood and the Council of Elders have insisted that I build Ascendance, an experimental weapon that takes into account the properties of Grimm biology. It is the only weapon of its kind; the first of next generation Scorchers. It is the ace up our sleeves. Powered by aural batteries, two percent output was enough to burn away the Grimm of Forever Falls without leaving permanent damage on the environment."

"Last minute deep scans into the Night formation had shown that it has similar, if not exact, properties as the Dark Matter infused in a Grimm's body. Ascendance is created to negate and repel the Dark Matter of the Grimm, but I believe it can also be used to repel the Nightfall as well."

"Listen well and listen carefully. I have remotely disengaged the security measures in the Spire. You need at least two registered personnel to activate Ascendance. Do it now. There is no time to-"

Violent turbulence shook the recording.

"It's coming." Ozpin said calmly. There is no time to waste. I wish you luck, whoever you are. And. . ." He paused. Soft eyes met the camera.

"I'm sorry."

Darkness swirled within the cockpit and the message ended with an abrupt bleep.

* * *

"We must assume the worst has happened." Weiss said. The girls were sitting side by side on the base of the Spire, trying to come to terms with what had happened. Ruby was injecting herself with supplementary adrenaline and painkillers from emergency supplies Weiss somehow managed to take from the Spire infirmary in her distraught state. Weiss was refilling Myrtenaster's dust chambers, toying with the weapon for the tenth time that day. She knew it was a useless thing to do, but she needed to do something, anything, to keep her mind off the truth.

"Ozpin said there's no time to waste." Ruby mentioned.

"Why should we?" Weiss suddenly asked.

"What kind of question is that?" Ruby said, torn between anger and worry.

"The one we should be asking ourselves." Weiss said bitterly. "What kind of world are we saving here, Ruby? There's nobody left. . . NO ONE!" the heiress snapped, standing up with trembling lips. "We failed! They're gone! We were too late! Don't you get it Ruby? There's no world for us to save anymore!"

Weiss broke down and cried. Ruby looked on with saddened eyes.

"I promised you, Weiss." Ruby said softly, hugging her partner. The younger girl held the heiress as she let go of her despair and sobbed into her chest. "That no matter what happens. . . we'll be together."

"But this is - this is so messed up." Weiss said, wiping her tears away with the hem of her dress.

"_I know." _Ruby said. She grabbed her partner's shoulders and forced the smaller girl to look her in her eyes. "BELIEVE ME! I KNOW!"

Weiss stemmed her grief when she realized Ruby was on the verge of breaking down as well. Her youth was something easily forgotten. Despite the fact that she was practically raised in combat, that she was a master of the scythe, that she had prepared for a war and sacrifice all her life, Ruby is just a fifteen year old girl burdened with the task of saving the world.

"I'm. . . sorry." Weiss forced herself to calm down for the younger girl's sake.

"I know." Ruby said.

"Thanks." Weiss said, standing up.

"Sure thing."

The heiress offered her leader a hand and Ruby took it. They got up on their feet and looked at the rising staircase hollowly.

"Shall we?" Ruby said, trying to lighten the bleary atmosphere.

"After you."

* * *

_I know you didn't plan this; you tried to do what's right._

_But in the middle of this madness, I'm the one you left to win this fight._

* * *

"Hey Ruby, you remember your stupid idea of a bunk bed?" Weiss said.

"If it works it's not stupid!" Ruby flared.

"It didn't." Weiss replied. "It fell on top of my bed last quarter, remember?"

"Oh." Ruby said. "Yeah. . . sorry."

"If it wasn't for my incredible reflexes, I might've gotten a cracked bone or two." Weiss complained.

"E-Exactly!" Ruby said, a lightbulb appearing in her mind. "It was a test! Just a test. You're the best teammate ever, so of course you passed." Ruby smiled.

"Right." Weiss drawled. "A test. Completely intended."

"Yep."

"Did you also intend for me to find the Children's Bedtime Picture Story stash hidden under your mattress?"

"Hey-"

"But you were right, Ruby." Weiss cut her off. "It was a cruel test indeed. It took all of my willpower not to faint out of embarrassment in knowing my monster-killing partner was into four year old comics."

"Whatever."

Pause.

"Ruby." Weiss said softly.

"Yeah?"

"Will you let me borrow those books after this is. . . over?" Weiss asked.

"Of course, Weiss." Ruby said, silent tears trailing down her cheeks. "It's a promise."

Her heart yearned for the promise, thirsted for what it stands for. Promises meant there was a future to fulfill, and under the blackened heavens, knowing the future still exists was everything.

They continued upwards in solemn silence.

* * *

By the time they reached the top, the storm was reaching its climax.

Black lightning exploded across the sky in a symphony of destruction, warping what seemed to be the fabric of reality, tearing the clouds apart like vengeful wraiths. Thousands of void spheres dotted the skies, creating a twisted pattern. Rumbling thunder boomed, accompanying the last two humans of the dying world. The air was sickeningly thick with despair, with hollowness that reflects the souls of the fallen.

The Ascendance, Ozpin's final gambit, loomed before them like a lamenting statue. It was a massive crystal that towered over the girls, unyielding against the face of annihilation. When black lightning flashes, its crystals were the only thing that shone in the momentary dark.

Weiss stepped forward to the holographic panels beneath the crystal. It seemed to be powered by emergency energy sources. She checked the energy gauge. It was full. She deduced possible explanations as to why its aural reserves failed to dissipate like hers. It would make some sort of sense that living creatures are the only ones affected. In any case, she didn't see the point in complaining about the one good thing they had encountered through the day. Satisfied, she entered a series of command codes into the panel. The machine whirred to life and the crystal glowed faintly. A pair of aural spheres appeared from the body of the crystal.

Lightning struck once more, shaking the entire structure. It felt as if the Spire could crumble at any moment.

Ruby looked at Weiss, who nodded in confirmation.

"Alright, let's do it-" Ruby reached for the spheres, but halted as she saw Weiss extend a hand towards hers.

"We'll do it together." Weiss smiled.

Ruby took her partner's hand and entwined their fingers together.

"Together." Ruby affirmed.

They reached for the last hope of their world, last beacon of light against the tide of perpetual dark. And in that final moment, no matter what happened, Ruby was glad she was spending it with Weiss.

They reached for it and time slowed down. An eternity seemed to pass as Ascendance hummed and throbbed, glowing with anticipation, and-

..

..

..

-the Crystal burst to life.

A beacon of light exploded from its core and washed away the darkness with a wave of raw power. Supercharged, materialized light illuminated the landscape, burning away the woeful clouds, brightening the sickened air and returning the pleasant hue of the skies. A blast of green rippled through the horizon, Remnant's beautiful forests restored to its former state. Sunshine broke through the canopy of clouds and the city of Vale glowed in the distance. Ascendance pulsed again and again, erasing the Nightfall with every wall of light

As the last tendrils of darkness faded away, the Huntresses looked on in disbelief.

"We.. we did it." Ruby whispered.

"Yeah." Weiss smiled. "We-"

**Dark.**

She fell.

* * *

Weiss?" Ruby quivered. "No. No! NO!"

Weiss convulsed, her body shaking so hard she lost her grip on Myrtenaster. She let out a sharp cry that was ended abruptly when she went limp, her clear blue eyes growing dark. She collapsed like a puppet whose strings were cut, hitting the ground with a weak thud.

"Run, Ruby!" Weiss gasped, her eyes alternating between the blank look of the Fade and the caring teammate Ruby grew to know. The tower was beginning to crumble. The force of Ascendance had created cracks in the architecture, If Ruby stayed, she was going to die as well. She tried to shove Ruby off of her, but failed. There was superhuman strength in her leader's grip, and her silver eyes reflected unwavering determination.

"I AM NOT. LEAVING YOU!" Ruby said. "A leader NEVER leaves her teammate behind!"

"You.. dunce." Weiss whispered. "You can't. . . save me!"

"Don't you dare tell me to leave you!"

_And that's why I fell for her._ Weiss thought. _She never does things right, that dolt._

_But she does the right thing._

She was losing the fight, and she knew it. She felt her memories disappearing one by one. Her father, the most intimidating figure in her life. Her ever perfect sister and their rivalry. Their caring mother, a haunting shadow in her heart. Slowly but surely, she crumbled. That irritating blonde Yang, her cheerful and carefree exterior hiding deep sadness within.. Blake's iron will, trying to free herself from the shackles of her past and fighting for a brighter future..

_Pyrrha.. Jaune.. Nora.. Run. Ran?_

Who?

Who was she thinking about?

Before the looming oblivion, she managed to hold on to one last memory.

A beautiful face with short, shoulder length hair. Quivering lips and glassy eyes. Soft, firm hands in which she was ensconced.

_Why is she crying?_

Weiss lifted a hand and touched her chest, right above her heart.

_Why does it hurt?_

"Don't.. be sad." Weiss said softly. The girl was sad, and that made her feel sad. For some reason she knew the girl meant a lot to her, but she can't put her finger around it. In any case, she felt weak. She felt.. as if she was going away.

_But where?_

"How can I not be?" Ruby whimpered. "You're my partner and I- I- I love you, Weiss!" Ruby broke, sobbing as she gathered Weiss in her arms. "Do you hear me!? I I LOVE YOU! So don't.. don't leave me." Tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

Her memories broke free of the darkness one last time.

_Her._

Weiss caressed Ruby's cheeks lovingly.

And that's why

_I waited too long, didn't I?_

She uttered them. Those words she kept hidden within her heart until the very end.

"I love y-"

But those are words she'll never finish, words she'll never hear again. Words Ruby had always wanted to hear, words of a fallen fantasy she never dared to dream. Those three forlorn words, cut off in a harsh echo of a reminder that _she_ was gone, gone from the world, gone from her embrace..

Gone.

That rebellious ponytail, tied teasingly to the side.

GONE.

Her voice; pure and clear like cut diamond.

**GONE.**

Her rebukes, laced with love and exasperation.

_**GONE.**_

Her will, dedicated in committing everything to whatever she does.

_**GONE!**_

Her smile. Brilliant, mesmerizing, the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

Ruby screamed.

* * *

_How could you leave me when you swore that you would stay?_

_Now I'm trapped inside a nightmare every single fucking day._

* * *

"Weiss.." Ruby sobbed weakly, all her strength expended in her lone, grieving howl of desolation.

She collapsed on the ground, a horrible feeling of loneliness surrounding her. She held on to the fading strands of white hair on her hand, the only thing she had left of her partner.

_Soon, it'll be gone, too._

It shone like silver moonlight and faded.

_Everyone.._

"WHY ME!?" Ruby cried out. "WHY AM I THE ONLY LEFT ALONE?!"

She fired Crescent Rose into the retreating void, screaming her grief. The recoil shook her body numb. Numb. That's what she needed right now. To feel nothing.

"TAKE ME, TOO!" she heaved, reaching for the disappearing darkness. The sun rose in the sky, the trees were green and Beacon academy shone like it always had. But it wasn't the world she knew. It wasn't the world she wanted. It was a world without her friends and family, a world without the people she loved.

"Don't. . ."

". . . leave me alo-"

_As you wish._

Something pulsed throughout her body and she stopped. Crescent Rose fell from her arms and disappeared before it even hit the ground. Ruby collapsed on her knees, staring at the approaching tendrils of death that took so many of her friends, her family, her Weiss.

It was coming back. It swallowed the land, the world, the stars. The short lived sun disappeared once more and the he ground crumbled under the march of the void. The building crumbled and she began to fall. Darkness enveloped everything around her, everything she knew, everything she was...

. . .

. . .

. . .

BLINDING LIGHT.

* * *

_Countless friends we made along the way._

_Countless friends we lost to the march of time._

_Still our lives will brighten the day._

_Still we persist and continue the climb._

* * *

_Where are am I?_

She was floating in a world of white. It was blessed with tranquil silence, a welcome sight after the chaotic apocalypse she just went through. She tried to move and realized there's nothing to move to.

"HEEEEELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!?" Ruby yelled.

There was no echo. Which means there's nothing from which the sound could reflect to. Which means there's nothing.

**Nothing.**

_Is this the afterlife?_ Ruby thought. If it is, she's bound to go crazy sooner or later. Nothing to do but float. Fly in the nothingness and…

Remember.

Ruby curled into a ball. The loneliness was crushing on her helpless mind, and she choked on a sob, eyes wide open as she tried to calm herself down. The mere idea of an eternity in this nothingness was terrifying, and her mind grew warped by the thought. An eternity spent, would she still be Ruby? Can she survive on absolute silence, devoid of all company? No. Of course she can't. There's no one here. Can she live? Can she die?

Her mind began to fracture until a familiar voice shocked her with a ripple of clarity

_Ruby._

"Mother?" Ruby whispered. She took the memory of the voice, surrounded herself with it, drowned in it. Holding on tight to the thought, she shed her fears, her doubts, the agony of loss. Hope surged within her, and she opened her bleary eyes to the projection.

An image of her mother imprinted itself on her mind. Summer Rose was there, right next to her, looking at her as if she was the most dear thing in the world. Ruby knew her mother. The fallen Huntress was the root of who she was; her pain, her joy, the reason she sang, the reason she fought, her love, her fears, whose death shocked her world to its very core.

_I am so proud of you. _

Her mother's voice was warm and soothing, like a soft ray of light penetrating a rainforest canopy.

Reality blurred.

* * *

She was hovering in room. Ruby recognized it as something a she'd love to have as a little girl. There was a nice, comfy bed in the middle of the room, covered with purple pillows and pink sheets. A large teddy bear sat in the center, staring balefully at a desk. The desk sat a corner of the room, filled with sentimental pictures and trinkets.

Then she saw the walls.

They were covered with picture posters, covering every inch of available space. They featured her. Ruby Rose; her partner, Weiss Schnee, her bombastic sister Yang Xiao Long and the mysterious Blake Belladonna. There were several other pictures of team JNPR, Ozpin, Roman Torchwick and a woman clothed in red she did not recognize.

It was then that she saw the tiny gap in the closet door. She hovered closer and found a little girl sitting inside, clutching a small wolf doll and crying silently. She was practically covered with a red cloak not unlike Ruby's. She heard footsteps echo outside the bedroom door, footsteps of someone coming up the stairs. The door opened and revealed a worried woman. Her eyes swept around the room before settling on the closet door. She opened it and approached the little girl.

"Honey, what's wrong?" her mother asked, embracing her daughter soothingly.

"I don't want it to end." she whispered.

Reality shifted.

* * *

She was following a man get up from bed with a drowsy yawn. He stretched, extending his arms as far as he can, before falling back on the sheets again, sighing happily. He reached for a device on the nightstand and started scrolling for notifications. Something caught his attention and he opened it. His eyes widened and he visibly shuddered. Ruby moved to see what it was, but he was already placing the device back to where it was and sat at the edge of the bed, saddened by whatever he saw.

"What happens now?" he muttered to himself.

She didn't get to read what he saw, but she saw the time. It was the evening of February third.

"Hey honey, I'm home!" the sound of an eager woman permeated the silence. A young woman entered the bedroom and kissed the young man on the cheeks. The man didn't respond, and she seemed to realize that something was off. "What's wrong?"

He looked away.

"Nothing."

* * *

Her perspective changed one last time. She was standing in a room, not very small, but not particularly big either. Thousands of posters and post-it-notes decorate the wall. Numerous equipment and electronic junk she couldn't name or recognize lay scattered across the room. Countless sheets of paper, some crumpled, were tossed carelessly on the floor. There were five, six tables that she could see, but only one was occupied.

A man was sitting comfortably on the chair, eyes stuck staring at the monitor of his computer and hands typing in an inhuman speed. He stopped occasionally to draw something on an electronic pad, the projection of his drawings visible on the monitor.

She approached the man's desk gingerly, unsure of what to do. This vision seemed particularly real. None of the others could see, touch or hear her, so she assumed it was safe to see what he was working on.

"Are you just going to stand there or are you going to say hi?" the man said all of a sudden.

"Eek!" Ruby squealed in surprise, hands raised to block incoming attacks.

"So?" he chuckled, giving her a fleeting glance to fully enjoy her shock. "We don't have all day. Well, I do, but you don't."

H-Hello?" Ruby stuttered.

"Make yourself at home, Ruby. Just a moment.."

_He knew her name?!_

He continued to work at a furious pace. Ruby stood there awkwardly as he finished his work, but sighed in relief as he pressed a final button and stood up, yawning.

"I wonder why I still feel tired here?" he wondered out loud.

"Excuse me." Ruby said stiffly, her patience wearing out.

"Right. Sorry." the man apologized. He pressed something on his keyboard and the monitor went dark. "I suppose we have a lot to discuss."

"Who are you?" Ruby asked. "And how did you know my name?"

"For lack of a better term, I suppose you can call me your maker."

"You're.. God. . . ?" Ruby said, slightly pessimistic about the claim. Most of Remnant aren't exactly invested in the idea of deities and such, herself included. There's not a lot of time pondering about higher states of reality when Grimm are bashing on your front door for most of your life.

"Not exactly, but it's the best I can come up with at the moment." he shrugged. "Now, I'm sure you have a lot of questions-"

"Then you know what happened right?!" Ruby cried out, rushing to the man and grabbing by the scruff of his shirt. "What happened to the Cities? To Vale!? Why are people disappearing? Why are my friends disappearing? Where is Yang and Blake?!"

"Like I said, a lot of questions." the man said. "If you'd calm down just a little. . ."

"How can I?" Ruby said, suddenly feeling weak. "My friends are.. dead, my sister and teammate are missing.. WEISS IS GONE!" she cried out.

The man had the decency to give her a moment to grieve.

"It can't be helped." he said in a low voice. "I died, after all."

"You.. died?" Ruby said in a small voice.

"It's a very disappointing thing, let me tell you." the man said. "An allergic reaction? Ridiculous. It's times like these when I wish I have an aura. It would have been quite convenient."

"So that's why. . ." Ruby trailed off. If the creator is gone, it naturally means that the creation will follow. Right?

To her surprise, the man laughed. He laughed long and hard, and when it finally subsided his demeanor shifted to a serious one.

"You don't really think everything would end with me, did you?"

"Umm.." Ruby mumbled, unsure of how to proceed.

"I started it all, but it sure as hell won't end with me." he said. "Your world doesn't belong solely to me anymore, Ruby, just as you don't belong to yourself. You belong to your sister, your partner, your team; your friends, family and the people of Remnant. In the same way, the world of RWBY belongs to those whose hearts it touched - thousands, hopefully millions, of people throughout my world." he continued, typing relentlessly while talking. "You saw them, didn't you?"

"Who?" Ruby asked, genuinely confused.

"Your fans!" the man laughed, reaching for his empty mug and pouring in the powdered coffee inside. He slid his chair from his desk to a nearby water dispenser, filled the mug with fresh coffee and proceeded to work again. "The little girl in the red dress, pretending to be you and the others. Dedicated writers, branching off your story to other worlds, other endings, other lives. There's even some adults who enjoys your world as a guilty pleasure - they wouldn't admit it at gunpoint, but I know some of them love it." the man chuckled.

"I don't understand. . . anything."

"But you will." the man replied immediately. He sounded so certain, looked so determined, that Ruby can't help but feel reassured at his words. She stood still in rapt attention as he worked his computer like human lightning, his fingers barely discernible as they flew across the keyboard.

"Out of everyone in my world, why me?" she asked. "Why am I here?"

"To right a wrong." he simply said.

She wondered what he meant.

"aaaaand.. done." he whistled contentedly. He unplugged something from the computer and handed it to Ruby. "Here."

Ruby accepted it warily.

"What is it?

"A second chance." he smiled. "For my sake and yours. Do try to enjoy the Vytal Festivals, Ruby."

"But wait!" Ruby cried out, reaching for the man. "I don't even know your na-"

Her hands passed through his body like smoke.

"What?" Ruby stared at her arms ."Am I.. dying?"

"You're fading, but not the bad kind." the man said. "You'll be home soon."

To Ruby, he was growing more transparent by the second. She smiled faintly and relished the world of the ethereal while she can. She closed her hand over the digital construct the man had given her and held it close to her heart.

"Thanks. For everything." Ruby said.

"No problem." he said. "It's partially my fault anyways."

"Will I remember you?"

".. No." he said softly. "But there's already enough who do."

**Light.**

It was time.

"Goodbye." she whispered.

"Goodbye, Ruby." he replied.

She disappeared.

* * *

Ruby was back in the white space again.

This time a black disc was hovering beside her. It was about as wide as her shoulders, and it was thinner than wire. She stared at it dumbfoundedly until it glowed once.

A small opening appeared in the middle of the disc. It was about the size of the construct the man had given her. She opened her clenched fist, revealing the construct. It was so small, so fragile. A tiny shard that somehow contained her entire world.

She slipped it in.

The disc hummed and started spinning. Space began to bend around the disc, and the whiteness of her world began collapsing into the singularity. The disc spun faster and faster and Ruby could feel herself being pulled closer. She raised her arms and tried to move away from the whirlpool of force, but finally succumbed. The disc grew into a black sphere and her eyes widened.

The spheres..

But it wasn't the same. There was a speck of light in this one; the smallest piece of hope that grew more radiant by the second. It enveloped the sphere of dark and filled Ruby with a sense of warmth.

"_Welcome home." _the disc said, loving and soothing like a soft breeze in the middle of summer.

MOTHER!

Her sight went dark.

* * *

"-uby! _RUBY!"_ a worried voice spoke through the haze of confusion that was her mind.

She felt hands on her shoulders, shaking her awake, and she opened her eyes.

And saw Weiss crouched over her, looking as if someone nearly died.

"Huh?"

"You DUNCE!" Weiss shouted in her face. "I WAS WORRIED SICK!"

Ruby looked around

"What.. happened?"

"It was an accident!" Yang said, coming to Ruby's side. "Lil sis! Don't you die on me!" she said, squeezing the life out of her.

"_I might.. if you.. keep doing.." _Ruby choked.

Blake appeared beside them and pulled a flailing Yang off of Ruby. The red hooded girl breathed in deep and exhaled while Weiss rubbed her partner's back, trying to ease the pressure off.

"What happened?" Ruby reaffirmed her earlier question.

"You don't remember?" Weiss frowned. "Yang didn't secure Ember Celica to her hand properly. She play-fought some enemies like an uncouth _child_." the heiress shot her sister a look. ".. and it flew off and hit you in the head. You went out like a light."

"I.. did?" Ruby said uncertainly.

"Sorry." Yang said.

"You better be." Weiss added. "Seriously, you should have known every detail about your weapon by this point. This merely shows your irresponsible traits and.."

As Weiss lectured her sister, Ruby stared at her teammates in incertitude. It all felt like a dream.

"Are you still angry?" Yang grimaced. "i said I'm sorry already. Stop looking at me like I'm dead."

"Sorry." Ruby said distantly.

"You have the decency to demand forgiveness from someone you just knocked out?!" Weiss said, outraged. "How dare you!"

"Relax, cold stuff!" Yang said, raising her hands in an appeasing manner. "We're sisters! It's all good, right Ruby?"

_To right a wrong._

Ruby froze, zooming in on that enigmatic thought. It felt incredibly crucial, undeniably important, but she couldn't remember where, or who she heard it from.

"Someone.. someone important." Ruby frowned. "I can't remember who, though."

_There's already enough who do._

Someone...

"Sounds like you've got a screw loose somewhere over there, lil sis!" Yang teased, flicking a finger to Ruby's forehead. She snapped back to her reality of trying to chop Yang's hair to teeny tiny pieces with Crescent Rose. Yang sprinted away just in time.

"WHY ARE YOU SO MAD!?" Yang asked, glancing back. Her eyes bulged at the demon incarnate wearing her sister's body and doubled her speed.

"IT WAS JUST ON THE TIP OF MY TONGUE!" Ruby complained, lashing Crescent Rose to and fro. Yang dodged like a madman, frantically trying to shield her hair from an impromptu barber cut. Weiss lent her partner support with a barrage of icicles, but Yang was too quick on her feet and evaded all of them.

"YOU CAN'T CATCH ME!" Yang stuck her tongue out.

A black whip coiled itself around her feet and Yang crashed on the ground with a loud _oomph!_

"Et tu, Blaketus?" Yang said woefully as her partner dragged her closer and closer to her doom.

Blake and Weiss visibly cringed at the painful attempt at word play. Ruby simply tilted her head in confusion, but appeared to have accepted it as something she won't understand and lifted Crescent Rose in preparation of punishing her sister.

"Please, Yang.." Weiss said, eyebrow twitching. "NEVER try to quote something like that again or I'll freeze your hair."

Yang struggled against Gambol Shroud. Blake pulled more, tightening the whip's grip on Yang's leg, but at the last second Yang slipped her foot out of her boots, freeing herself from the whip. The tension and the coil made for a deadly projectile. Blake received a bootprint to the face as Yang made her escape, blasting away with Ember Celica,.

"YOU CAAAN'T MAKE MEEEEE~" Yang taunted, blasting away with Ember Celica.

Blake sighed as the busty blonde's muddy boots fell off of her face. It looks like she'd have to use that card.

"You will either come here and shut the hell up or Dust help me I will force you to wear a ponytail for the rest of the school year." Blake threatened menacingly.

Yang blasted back and bowed on the ground.

"OKAY! I WON'T DO IT ANYMORE!" Yang promised. "Just.. don't.. the horrific.. ponytail."

"Good girl." Blake purred, patting her partner's head. "I forgive you."

"I don't." Weiss interjected. That was all the warning Yang received before a bolt of elemental ice to the face. Artificial ice wrapped its way around her head and froze her golden mane.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHHHHH!" Yang screeched, clawing at her hair in vain. "GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF!"

"I'M TRYING!" Blake said, genuinely trying to rid her teammate of the haircicle.

Ruby broke into a grin and laughed. She laughed, and laughed, and laughed. so long and hard that her teammates looked at her with concern.

"Rub. . ." Weiss said tentatively. "Are you. . . okay?"

"Did you actually get brain damage?" Yang asked.

"Don't worry, guys." she sa

_Whoever you are.. thanks. _She thought.

Ruby continued on her merry way, considering whether or not Crescent Rose could be used as a weedwhacker.

* * *

As the girl faded from his ethereal reality, the man plopped back on his chair and swiveled around to face his computer once more.

"Now.." Monty muttered. "A new show for the afterlife, eh?"

He sat down on his computer and began typing earnestly once more.

He always liked a challenge.

* * *

_"I believe that the human spirit is indomitable. If you endeavor to achieve, it will happen given enough resolve. It may not be immediate, and often your greatest dreams are something you will not achieve within your own lifetime. The effort you put forth to anything transcends yourself, for there is no futility even in death." - Monty Oum._

* * *

victory is in a simple soul

**Part Five of Five - END**


	6. In Memoriam

Author's Note and in Memoriam

* * *

Call me George R. R. Martin, but it hurt to a lot to write this fic. Seriously, the farewell scenes were a bitch. So I had to make this bonus chapter to make up for it. The ending might feel a little trippy (and meta) but I wanted this to end on a good note. Long story short, the reason I did this was because Monty Oum made me a fanfiction writer.

I've frequented this website, enjoying its writers' fruits of labor, for years. I've never even considered the notion that I should start contributing as well - that is, until I watched RWBY.

RWBY is a great show. The animation may not be up to everyone's standards and it's a little rough around the edges, but it's absolutely beautiful, badass and inspiring at the same time. There's a lot of gold to be found in this show. It's a sandbox where we can unleash our creativity, a world any fan can participate in.

Monty Oum fought to get RWBY up and going. Roosterteeth relented only after he promised to finish the latest season of RvB before he could begin his own project. It started out small, with a small team and a small budget, but eventually grew successful.

I loved the world of RWBY. Every character was beautifully crafted, and I fell in love with all of them. Ruby's innocent strength, Yang's raucous courage, Weiss's elegant determination, Blake's silent agility, Jaune's pure will, Pyrrha's awkward affection, Nora's endearing eccentricities, Ren's calm visage, Ozpin's caring wisdom, Cinder's flaming badassery.. the list goes on and on.

_I pray to every deity I know that the show won't end with Monty._

He shouldn't have died. A regular checkup that ended in a brutal allergic reaction strong enough to send him into a coma.. what sort of doctors were they?

But enough of that. Getting mad over it won't bring him back. Instead, we can honor his legacy. I ask you, dear reader, whether or not you've got an account, to write something for RWBY. It could be a saga, a one-shot, a poem - heck, even a single rhyme would suffice. Just write it, and maybe he'll read it somehow, someway, and smile.

Rest in peace, Monty. Thanks for the ride. I promise you my fealty of creativity, and I hope you find peace wherever you are.

_It's time to say goodbye._

-Deathwhisperer.

* * *

**Soundtracks used** \- I May Fall, Red Like Roses Part II Album Version, Die, Boop, This Will be the Day

All credit goes to their respective owners.

**Trivia:**

\- Ren met his end because Monty was his voice actor.

\- Monty was allergic to cats and.. wait for it, junipers.

\- "_Fast is important. Fast is something"_ \- Monty Oum. He ripped off useless keys from his keyboard because they slowed him down. His fans often had to tell him to sleep because of his workaholic behaviour.


End file.
